Fallout: Equestria Rogue
by TheTransfiguredCanary
Summary: The is the story of how the wasteland can change you... how it warps your body... how it warps your mind... The Good and innocent become cold and harsh... childhoods lay shewn in the dust... and friendships become skeletons that disappear on the wind... !WARNING!: DO NOT SKIP THIS! this story is very dark and has a gore warning! if thy upchuck often, do not read!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: HEY EVERYONE! This is my new project! I hope you all enjoy it! I hope I impress Fallout: Equestria fans! Without further ado!

ONWARDS!

* * *

Chapter 1

The Equestrian wasteland was changing.

It was a slow painful change, like the world had grown so used to it's own destruction that it didn't remember what it was like to be healthy and was rejecting the medicine as a disease.

The ponies cold feel it. They would stand and shiver as the winds of change blew by. The ponies were starting to wonder if it wasn't the world that didn't remember, but themselves.

There were a few who did remember.

But they didn't have the sense to speak their words.

That's how the hunters came to be.

The world may be healing, but the ghouls weren't. They traveled the world in great herds, destroying and easting anything and everypony in their path. It was devastating.

The hunters were brave ponies, usually in groups of five or six who killed the herds.

They followed them until they had the ammo and then they killed every one. At first ponies did it for themselves alone, but soon, like everything does, it grew into a business. Hunter's were for hire. Every trophy they brought back got them a cap, and then it was three, then five. Soon the hunter's were a booming collective. Dozens of squads, all looking for a quick cap. Those who couldn't make it were hunted themselves. It was harsh but so was the rest of Equestria.

And of all the hunters in Equestria there was one who ponies whispered about.

Rogue.

She emerged out of obscurity. No pony was quite certain where she was from and no pony was brave enough to ask. After all, she was famous for something no pony dared try.

She hunted alone.

And she always brought in quite a few caps. She must have been the richest pony in Equestria by now as far as they were concerned. But for all of her accolades…

She rarely spoke.

She never ate.

Some ponies even claimed she didn't even sleep.

They didn't know what to think of her. And that suited her just fine. She liked to be the mysterious thing that Hunters wet their flanks thinking about. All the while she laughed at how they thought she acted. What they thought she would say if she spoke. Rogue just rolled wit it. She wasn't any pony special… they made her special.

She was just chasing a dream.

A dream that she knew deep down wasn't really there anymore.

But still she chased like a filly after a butterfly, running as fast as she could knowing that without a net there was no way to catch it.

She'd done too much.

Seen to much…

She was old…

She was rotting.

But still she chased.

* * *

In the middle of the barren fields where Clousdale had fallen some idiot had decided that it would be a great place for a bar. Needless to say, it turned out to be a horrible idea. The stallion had abandoned the place decades ago, probably because the place was crawling with ghouls. Well, that very fact made it a perfect place for the hunters to stay. And stay they did. The place became a little outpost. What had once been a single room with a bar became three houses, two being three storied tall. There was the bar, which had gained two floors, both of which worked as brothels. There were the free beds, all bunks lining all the walls of the makeshift shacks. And the third was a medic hall, which doubled as a public bathroom, and every Thursday gave out free showers. The little settlement was called the Hunter's Nook, owed by a decidedly wealthy fellow name Whiskey Drops. The hunters all stayed there at least once in their lifetime. It was were you started out for every new hunter got a gun, 25 bullets, barding, and a single bottle of Sparkle Cola. If you used those up right away you were fucked and the wasteland chewed you up and spit out your bones. It was the one who knew how to conserve that lasted in the hunter's race. Sometimes, but rarely, a wanderer would stumble upon the Hunter's Nook. Whiskey would jack up the prices just for them and they'd be on their marry way by daybreak. Such a thing happened one rainy day in the summer. It was pouring rain, thunder and lighting rumbled overhead when a gray unicorn pounded on the Hunter's Nook gate. The ponies guarding the door opened the slate.

"Can I help you?" the bored blue stallion asked. The mare stared at him

"Come on man, it's freezing! Let me in!" the mare said angrily. The stallion shrugged.

"Whatever, just know that if ya pull a gun out you'll have sixty more pointing back at ya." He said before he and his partner pulled two ropes on the side of the gate. The pulleys hefted the gate up and the mare galloped in as they released it and let in fall with a bang. "Welcome to the Hunter's Nook. Whiskey's at the bar, he owns the place, probably want to talk with ya." The guard said before he and his buddy leaned on the gate again and continued their card game. The pony nodded and walked over to the bar. As she walked in a few ponies looked her way but weren't interested. She sat at the bar.

"Hey bartender, can I have a scotch!" the tumbler was slid over. "Thanks… now where can I find whiskey?"

"I am Whiskey Drops deary." The bartender said settling down with his elbows on the bar top. He was a golden-coated earth pony with a wild brown mane and a big mustache and beard. "Now how can I be helping ya?" he had quite a thick accent, like northern Trottingham.

"Just saying hi, guard at the door said you'd want to meet me." She said. The pony stared at her.

"Ya know deary, we hunter's get a bit skittish when a pony doesn't lower her hood, be a good lass and show us yer face?" the mare took off her hood and shook her blue mane.

"Sorry bout that, hadn't even realized I left it up." she took another sip of her scotch "the name Homage."

"That lad Pom-3's assistant from Tenpony? Deary me, you've come a long way lass." Whiskey said handing the mare another scotch bottle with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I'm not staying, I'm on a quest."

"Oh are ya? What might ya be quenstin for?" Homage looked at the stallion with scrutiny then leaned on the bar.

"Tell me… do you know any pony particularly generous?" the stallion laughed heartily.

"I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place lass. We hunters only care about one thing, caps. If ya don't have the caps, yer not worth your skin, AM I RIGHT LADS?" there was a holler of affirmation from the crowd.

"AND GIRLS!" one female voice screeched. The collective laughed as Whiskey faltered

"Right! And lasses! Sorry Gunner." He said. The dark gray pony nodded angrily and slid back down next to the four mares beside her. Homage sighed.

"Too bad, guess I'm still looking." Suddenly the door burst open. The silhouette looked intimidating. It was a big lumpy pony. But as the pony stepped into the light everyone could see it was just a mare not even 30 holding a bulging sack. She walked up to whiskey.

"Is the guys from Filly still here?" suddenly a hush fell over the bar. Homage looked around and could see everyone was looking at the mare. Some with disgust, other with reverence.

"It's Rogue Ranger." One stallion beside her whispered to his comrades excitedly. Homage looked back at the mare. She was kinda short and little sickly looking with a dark brown palomino coat and roan red hair that was cut short in the back and left her bangs out in the front. Her cutie mark was scared on the side she was looking at but Homage could make out a crosshair covered by two crossed bullets. Her barding was normal leather barding the only discerning feature of her outfit being a red scarf and a metal neck brace of some kind. When another pony stepped forward Homage looked at the stallion

"I'm here… are they all gone?"

"Yep, every one." she dropped her bag and out tumbled ghoul pony ears each with a hole through them either punched or shot Homage couldn't tell. "You owe me 750 caps." She said quietly. The crowd hushed again as the ponies eyes widened.

"750! I only have 500!" the pony stuttered. The mare looked at him unimpressed.

"Got anything else?"

"I have some food, and a few bullets but."

"I'll take the bullets and call it even, keep yer food," she said. The pony stuttered again.

"But how will I get home!" he cried. The mare looked at him.

"Not my problem. I did a job and I expect payment, you don't have the caps so I'm taking your bullets, I daresay I'll use them better then you." She said before she turned away from the blubbering pony. The sight disgusted Homage.

"Come on man, he's gotta go all the way to Philly, cut him some slack!" She said angrily at the mare. The pony turned to her.

"Do I know you?"

"No but-"

"Is what I do any of your business?"

"No but I-"

"You're right, it isn't, so go fuck yourself." she said angrily before she took the bottle of whiskey being handed to her. The gray unicorn's face turned red and steam began to pour out of her ears.

"You're the worse pony I have ever had the unfortunate instance of meeting!" she screamed at the earth pony mare. The brown pony turned to her.

"Look okay, you're wasting my time, do you have a job for me? Something you want me ta do? If not piss off, I don't have time for this." She said drinking the whiskey. Homage paused. She looked around the bar. Most of the ponies had gone back to their drinks and conversation but some would look up at the lone mare beside her every few seconds. She turned back to the mare.

"How good of a hunter are you?" she asked slowly. The mare blinked.

"One of the best, are we talking caps here?" she asked.

"Yes, definitely talking caps." Homage said

"What do ya want me ta do?"

"Do you follow DJ Pom-3's channel?"

"Off and on, why?" the mare asked. That floored Homage. She didn't think any pony missed DJ Pom-3's show.

"There's a herd of ghoul in the basement of Tenpony tower. If ya clear it out there'll be a heck of a lot of caps for ya." Homage said. The mare stared at the gray pony with wide eyes and a slight smile.

"Done!" she said holding out her hoof and giving the mare a hearty shake. "Hey Whiskey! I'm paying this mares tab!"

"You sure lass?"

"Yeah, I got money." she said slamming the caps on the table before she emptied the bottle of Whiskey and got up from the bar. "Come on, we've gotta get moving!" she said nearly dragging Homage out the door.

"Hey hey hey! I don't know about you but some of us mortal ponies need sleep! I've been on the wasteland for days! I'm going to head out to the bunks and crash! Besides, it's pouring outside. The storm won't be done until sunrise." Homage said. The mare in front of her sighed.

"Fine, but we leave at dawn, I want ta be in Manehattan by night fall tomorrow. We'll walk up friendship line." Homage nodded and walked out of the bar. The rain was falling in cats and dogs. Homage shivered and lifted her hood again before walking in the direction of the bunks. "Hey Tenpon!" the mare shouted after Homage. She turned back to her "Name's Rogue!"

"Homage!" the gray mare said over the din of thunder and lightning.

* * *

Level: 16

Stats:

S:8

P:10

E:6

C:4

I:7

A:6

L:1

* * *

A/N: and so it begins.

I hope you hate Rogue Ranger as much as I do by the end. This story will be quicker at updating then The One True Queen...

I hope.

I haven't set up a schedule yet...

So I'll see you when I see you...

-Authora 'Cupcakes' Adventures


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

here's the second part. a whole lot faster then i thought it would be. *shrugs* guess you're all lucky, this plot cuttlefish really hugged me hard.

ah cuttlefish.

 _*squee*_

* * *

An eager Rogue roused Homage at dawn.

"Come on! We gotta get movin!" she said. Homage groaned and covered her eyes.

"Five more minuets."

"Fuck man how are you not dead? A raider who have shot and raped you by now." Homage turned to the mare.

"I know I'm in a place where raiders would be shot at the door, that usually helps with sleep." Rogue scoffed

"Whatever man, but what if the raiders pillaged the town over night?"

"Then I'd be awake wouldn't I?" Homage said with a laugh. Rogue scoffed. After about ten more minutes of coaxing Homage out of bed the pair left the Hunter's nook with a bang from the sliding door. Homage yawned widely, causing tears to prick in her eyes. "Celestia fuck me, don't you sleep?"

"Not really." Rogue said with a bland tone.

"How do you function?" Homage asked. Rogue rolled her easy and began walking. The pair walked for a while in silence. Homage found in disconcerting how quietly the mare could walk without levitating herself. After a while Rogue held her hoof over Homage's chest.

"Stop… there's a Ghoul pony behind us." She said. The mare's turned very slowly. Indeed a ghoul pony was a few meters away. Rogue took out her gun. Homage was shocked by what she saw. The gun had a hoof trigger. Not a tongue trigger, a HOOF trigger! How!? Rouge swung it around and with the pop of a silencer the ghoul went down. She had moved so fast that Homage hadn't see how it worked.

"Your gun has a hoof trigger!" Homage said excitedly. Rogue just turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"What were you a steel ranger in another life? It's just a hoof trigger. There not even usable by most ponies." she said walking up to the ghoul she fitted some kind of weird shoe with a spike on her hoof and stomped on the ghouls left ear. A perfectly round hole appeared in it when she pulled it away. She put her knife in her teeth and cut the ear off before throwing it in her saddlebag.

"Yes, which means you have some awesome ability that make you able to use them!" Homage said following the pony as she walked past her.

"It's called being far-sighted." Rogue said with a laugh. "And I'm not anymore."

"Not far-sighted?" Homage asked.

"You could say that… I was partially blinded by a balefire bomb detonation." Rogue said quietly. "I miss half the time nowadays, it's getting worse the older I get." She stopped fro a moment next to a sign. Homage looked at it. It read: Hunter's nook with an arrow pointing in the direction they had come from. A rustling turned her attention back to her travel companion. The mare was sliding some kind of big gun apparatus onto her back. There was some weird kind of radio in the side of it.

"What is that?" Homage asked

"You wouldn't believe me unless I showed you and the ammo is way to rare to waste on a demonstration. It has my travel music wired into it, thanks to an old friend of mine name circuit board. He was a massive nerd, wouldn't have lasted more then a day in the wasteland."

"Back from your home town?" Homage asked. Rogue looked at the mare.

"Yeah." She fitted the metal hoops attached to the thing to her legs. It was as she was doing this that Homage realized the second thing the mare had said.

"Music? I'm sorry I don't think I heard right, did you say music?" Homage asked excitedly. Rogue laughed.

"I was waiting for that, with somepony so obsessed with that DJ Pom-3 guy I was certain you'd want ta hear my jams." The pony said before she kicked up her hoof. She counted with her hoof slowly to two before she began walking normally. Quite suddenly the music began playing. _We've got this song for you-_ "no way." Rogue said lifting up her leg. The song stopped and a new one began to play. _come little children-_ "no." Homage was salivating, that was two new songs already! _I'm not a fan of puppeteers! Bu-_ "naw, not in the mood for that…" and another! _You've come such a long, long, way and I've watched you from that very first day-_ "no thank you." Rogue said with a scoff "why do I still have that song?"

"WAS THAT CELESTIA!?" Homage shrieked in glee. Rogue froze and turned to her with an unimpressed look. Homage's voice echoed over the plain impressively. Homage covered her mouth with her hooves "oops." She and the pony stood stock still as the ground rumbled slightly and a sound echoed over the plain.

"Run." Rouge said in annoyance. Homage didn't need telling twice. She bolted as fast as her hooves would carry here but when she turned to her companion she realize the pony had not followed so she turned back to the mare, fearing she'd been taken down by the herd. What she saw amazed her. At least Fifty ghouls were attacking the brown mare. She was fighting them all and, even more surprisingly, she was winning. But even Homage could see that Rogue was becoming overwhelmed. As the ghouls swarmed the hunter Homage froze in fear. As soon as they were done with the brown mare they would come after her. She only had a dozen bullets on her.

"Fuck." Homage said quietly. Suddenly the swarm of ghouls exploded impressively. Their bodies were thrown into the air leaving nothing but a crater and falling limbs. Suddenly a body fell from the sky in front of Homage. It was Rogue. She had blown herself and the ghouls up "Fuck." Homage said with a slump of her shoulders. She wiped her face and thought about going back to the hunter's nook when a whooshing sound caught her ear. She watched in shock as the pony was listed into the ground by a pink magical swirling power before she landed in front of the mare with nary a scratch.

"Fuck, I'd hoped to keep that hidden for a bit longer." Rogue said quietly. Homage just left her mouth drop open. After a while she opened her mouth to shout. Rogue stuffed her hoof in the mare mouth and look around at the carnage around them before looking at the mare pointedly. When she removed her hoof Homage whispered angrily

"You're a Canterlot ghoul pony!? You don't even look like a ghoul! How?!" Rogue sighed.

"Look okay, contrary to what every pony thinks regenerating like that take a lot out of a pony, I'd like to sit back chug down a few Rad Cola's and relax for a bit, a ways that way there's a house on the edge of Manehattan we can crash in. Let's get there and settle down. I don't know about you but I'm exhausted."

"Ha! So you do need sleep!" Homage said triumphantly. Rogue laughed.

"I'm a ghoul, ghouls don't sleep. But I do need to not move for a bit. It relaxes my muscles that have just been violently thrown into the air and turned to mush before being violently slammed back together again." Homage groaned

"Lovely image."

* * *

"Sick! Rad Cola!" Rogue said picking up the bottle in the vending machine she was pillaging.

"You must love the stuff." Homage said as they walked through the ruined city outskirts, looking for the friendship line station.

"Oh yeah, almost as awesome as being struck by lightning." Rogue said pulling the cap off one and taking a long swig. "Except I fucking hate radishes." She said quietly.

"Lightning?!" Homage asked with a shocked face. Rogue nodded while drinking.

"Yeah, it gives me a super charge, I move faster then normal, that's why a lot of ghouls are faster at thunder storms, they get struck by lighting."

"Neat… so, you never answered my question, how are you a Canterlot ghoul exactly, you don't even look... ghouly." Homage said. Rogue laughed derisively

"Yeah… I wasn't in Canterlot."

"You were outside?"

"Yeah, when the pink shield went up I could see it from my outpost, I ran back and pounded on it trying to get home and help my family… my mom was waiting at the gate. She kept telling me to run… I didn't understand it, and when the dome filed with that pink shit she still kept shouting at me to run. So I did, I ran done the road as fast as I could. When the shield broke and pink stuff stared flying around I got a face full of it. It wasn't enough to turn me all nasty like, but it was enough to kill me… I didn't realize… I ran back to the gate to see what I could do… my own mother attacked me… I… it was the scariest thing I ever saw… I ran back to my station and I got my guns… then I did something," the brown pony blushed "something really stupid." She said with a strained laugh.

"What?" Homage asked.

"I decided to go down to the zebra town under the city and kill every single zebra I saw."

"What?! Why?!" Homage asked in outrage. Rogue sighed.

"I was pissed at the world, pissed at them for murdering my family… if it helps I almost got killed myself… somepony saved my life though." Rogue said.

"who?" Homage asked.

"Sergeant Steel Hooves," Rogue didn't notice Homage's shocked sad face. "saved my life, twice actually. Once in training with the army and another time in that village… if I ever saw him again I'd love to say thanks… haven't seen his sorry steel ass in years though…"

"Ha ha… yeah." Homage said tensely. Rogue's ear twitched and she turned to the dark grey unicorn

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded angrily. Homage's ears flattened.

"Oh god Rogue I'm so sorry… Steel Hooves was killed out in Splendid Valley by Hell hounds." The unicorn said delicately. Rogue stared at her with a blank face and turned away. Homage smiled weakly following the mare. "You're not upset?"

"Oh no, I'm pissed." Rogue said with a dangerous voice.

"Oh… well um."

"Shut up!" Rogue shouted angrily with a throaty snarl. Homage froze in shock. The ghoul looked kind of shocked herself and turned quickly and almost galloped ahead. Homage swallowed and followed the mare from a distance.

* * *

"We gotta stay low, we're getting into raider territory." Rogue said. Homage and her crouched low over the track, and as they were going around the track Rogue swore.

"Moriarty." She ground out angrily. Homage looked ahead and saw that somepony had set up a toll on the track.

"Ah fucking bastards, come on, it's a track through a city."

"It's Moriarty, he makes money out of everything he can. His cutie mark is a tollgate. His story is that he got it when he started charging people to use a hole in the ground to piss." Rogue said with a huff. Homage froze.

"Wait, you know him?"

"Yeah…" Rogue said with a regretful glance at the tollbooth. She walked up to it, gun held at the ready, and pounded on the door.

"HEY MORIARTY!" she shouted angrily. The gate was slowly opened and a dark purple mare with red and blue hair stepped out

"Rogue! Honey! It's been AGES!" she cackled evilly and turned to Homage "Oo you brought a snack! Hold her down Hack Saw! I want her horn!" the pony said. Homage realized something with a jolt.

"Raiders!" she said with a gasp. Rogue stepped in front of the crazed mare and her steel gray stallion friend who was holding evil looking stained saw.

"Piss off Switch Blade, she's mine. Find your own kill." Homage stepped back in fear.

"You're a raider!?" she asked in shock. Rogue turned to her.

"Rogue Ranger!" shouted the gray Pegasus stepping forward. Homage was shocked to see that he wasn't a dashite. When she looked up to his face she shouted out in alarm. Half of the skin on his face was ripped off leaving knotted muscles and a grey cloudy orb where his eye was. The stallion raised his eyebrow at the ponies face. "What's wrong with her?" he asked with a sneer.

"She's not used to seeing a real lifeless shitpile." Rogue said with a growl. "What the fuck Moriarty, a toll gate, really, seems like an old act, shouldn't you be out looking for a flank to rip open?"

"You see my dear." As the stallion lifted up his hoof to put it on Rogues shoulder Homage realized with a jolt of nausea that the skin on half of his body was melted off in certain places. "The ponies have been scarce in these parts, some pony up in tenpon has been warning them away." He put on a sleazy smile "you wouldn't happen to be going down there would ya, maybe you can-"

"I'm not doing your dirty work Moriarty… never again." Rogue said with a growl. The stallion chuckled.

"Suit yourself, but if that's the case you owe me a thousand caps." He snarled holding out his hoof. Rogues eyes shrunk to pin pricks and twitched.

"1000 CAPS!" she shrieked angrily. "WHAT THE FUCK MORIARTY!"

"Your accolades are very far reaching Rogue my dearest, I know how many caps you've got in that pack of yours." Rogue growled and got right up into the pegasus's face

"Fuck you Moriarty." He just stared at her with a smirk. Rogue's eyes narrowed. "500."

"800."

"650."

"700."

"Done." Rogue said holding out the caps. The three ponies fought for the bag but Moriarty snarled and pushed the other two ponies away.

"Guard the gate you idiots! Rip tide!" a unicorn stallion with a dried blood color coat came out. "Put that in the safe! And if you pocket it I'll get hack saw to rid you of your horn!" he turned back to Rogue "you're free to go through, you there!" he pointed his rotting hoof at Homage. She jumped and stared at the three raiders. "You owe me twenty caps!" he said grimly. Homage swallowed and slowly walked through the gate. Switch Blade and Hack Saw were watching her with wild eyes. As she passed by them Hack saw whistled.

"She's got a nice flank Rogue, can I have just a nibble." He asked stepping forwards. Homage turned around and put her pistol to his nose.

"Take another step, I dare you," she said dangerously. The raider crossed his eyes and stared at the gun with a wide crazy smile. He backed up, still smiling. Moriarty laughed at the dark gray mare.

"shes got sas, I like it. Twenty caps please." Homage levitated the cap in front of the rotting pony. He smiled at them both, bowing slightly.

"see ya soon Rogue?" he asked. Rogue said nothing and walked away. Homage followed her. after a while she couldn't hold her curiosity.

"so, did you pay him to keep you alive or something." Rogue said nothing. "cause it kinda sounded like he knew you really well." Rogues shoulders slumped mildly. "you din't you know… kill ponies, did you?" silence "Rogue?" the pony stopped.

"I was a raider after the war, I raped, I pillaged, I maimed, I slaughtered… it was how I found solace, by making others feel how I felt." She said quietly. Homage stared at her.

"you what!" she shrieked in anger and disgust "what the fuck man! That's sick!" Rogue looked up to the sky.

"t is was it is."

"How do you fucking live with yourself?" Homage shrieked in anger. Suddenly she was thrown backwards. Rogue had punched her in the face. Homage stared at her wide eyed.

"THAT WAS THE FUCKING POINT!" Rogue shouted angrily dragging the unicorn up. "I'M NOT LIVING! I'M DEAD! I'VE BEEN DEAD FOR 200 YEARS! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DIE AND COME BACK NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO?" Rogue shouted shaking the mare. "Don't lecture me about what's right and wrong! I don't give a shit! One day I'm gonna leave this hell hole and find some island to rot away on and for the first fucking time in this Celestia forsaken existence I won't have to listen to ponies telling me what's right and wrong!" she threw the mare back on the ground. Homage stared up at the mare with anger.

"you're a sick bitch!" she shouted. Suddenly Rogue was in her face. She snarled in a ghoulish growl mouth wide and teeth ready to sink into Homages face. she froze, eyes widened in shock before she squeezed her eyes shut and galloped down the track towards Tenpony tower. She didn't look back.

* * *

"don't come up. I never want to see you ever again." Homage said with a twisted snarl by the entrance to the basement. Rogue didn't look at her either. She simply set up her weapons. She pulled out something and witched it on. It made a crackling noise before she turned on her music. _I'm not a fan of puppeteers, but I have a nagging fear someone else is pulling at the strings…_

As she opened the door she threw it down the hall. There was the sound of growls but the ghouls were attracted to the wired mobile speaker rather then the mares. she went through the door and closed it behind her. Homage stood for a while listening at the sounds of bullets mixed with the pre war music she wanted so badly. She sighed and walked over to the elevator. As she got off on the top floor she sighed and slumped on the bed.

"Come on Homage… it's not so bad, sure she's a bitch but-"

"I don't want to talk about that littlepip." Homage said with a huff. The sprite bot hovered for a bit silently. Then it settled down on the bed side table.

"well, what do you want to talk about?"

"…I don't know…" Homage said with a quiet voice. Littlepip huffed

"why don't you do another news segment?"

"naw."

"play some of Velvets tracks?"

"no…"

"I could sing for you!"

"you suck at singing." Homage said with a slight smile.

"hey, I'm not that bad!"

"have you found any pony?"

"nope… we've been looking around the clock, no ponies stood out… I've gotten the same from velvet and calamity, Zenith hasn't seen anything either. Ditzy said she thought she had a lead but that the pony hasn't shown up in a while, shes not even sure if they're still alive or not…"

"fuck." Homage said with a sigh, lying back down. Suddenly the building shook. "what the hell!" she looked out side to see a huge explosion just outside the city. The streets were suddenly swarming with ghouls and out of the fray stepped the brown mare with the red mane. She charged out, guns blazing, shooting ever ghoul in her sights. Homage watched with a slight awe. The mare did miss but apparently her blindness was partial enough to be minor, or so she thought. As the pony stopped and tried to fire a ghoul charging towards her from down the street she fired three times before the forth struck the ghoul in the leg. Homage could see the mare curse and fire a fifth bullet into the ghouls head. Soon it was just a matter of playing her music and attracting the ghouls. Homage listened to the new song. - _GIVE ME A DASH OF Looyalltyyyy!_ "man… I want her music." Homage said with a sigh. Littlepip laughed a bit at that. Homage went back to her recordings. She set up the news line an began talking.

"Hello my fellow wasteland ponies. DJ Pom-3 coming to ya loud and proud from good old tenpony Tower. Now some of you may have heard the explosion out by Manehatten and even if ya didn't I'm here ta give your minds a settle. I'm sure you've all heard by now of our little pest problem down in our basement. Damn place was crawling with ghouls. Well my charming assistant was down by the Clousdale crash site at this place called the Hunter's Nook and she recruited one of the best of the best to clear out the place. Now don't worry little ones, the tower is perfectly fine but she's a firey one. She likes to blow stuff up. Anyways, that's all we have for news today, and now, some sultry sound from our dear Velvet Remedy." With that Homage took off her head phones and played Velvet's song on air. She sat back down on her bed and was about to relax a bit when the com radio crackled to life.

"Uh Pom 3?" it was one of the guards at the gate

"he's busy right know, what is it?" Homage asked.

"The pony you got to clear out the ghouls, she left us this disc thing… do you want us to send it up?" Homage blinked in confusion

"yeah sure, whatever." After a while a unicorn wearing barding came to her door and handed her the she open the case a note dropped out.

 _Ten Pon,_

 _I know you're pissed at me. Whateves, I don't really care, but I know you like my music so I thought what the hell, you might just appreciate it. Here's a list of the songs I gave ya, should be enough to fill some radio time._

 _1._ _Discord-by Living tombstone and the stripes_

 _2._ _Celestia's ballad-recoded by the original Pom-3_

 _3._ _A true, true, friend-recorded by the original Pom-3_

 _4._ _Children of the night- duo cartoonist project (Circuit Board helped with this one)_

 _5._ _Septmeber- by lolman7 in collab with the stripes_

 _(oh yeah, don't play this one often, it's kinda shocking)_

 _6._ _Loyalty-by AucousiticBrony and MandoPony_

 _7._ _Friendship-by the aviators_

 _8._ _This is war-by 30 seconds to mars (all bat pony punk band, they were a protest band)_

 _9._ _Smile-recorded by the original Pom-3 (this is a ministry of morale song. I hope you know what that means.)_

 _10._ _radioactive- by imagine dragons_ _(yeah I thought you'd appreciate the irony, also, they were all, that's right, dragons, fucking sweet huh)_

 _-Rogue_

 _p.s. the stripes were an all zebra band._

Homage stared at the cd and the note.

"fuck, now I can't stay mad." She said angrily. Littlepip laughed as the unicorn retreated to the recording studio to test the disk out.

* * *

active Affects:

Feral(1): you are going crazy... sorry about that. you may feel the need to feed on pony flesh. +15 more health from flesh eaten from the cannibal perk.

Blindness(2):my eyes are dim I cannot see I have not brought my specs with me... what? -45% accuracy with E.F.S. -2 perception

Skills:

Sneak:46

Repair:35

Small Guns:43

Explosives:52

Barter:29

Speech:30

* * *

Rogue is such a bitch, but I felt I had to make her like this, her freak out is important...

or I like torturing ponies, you decide! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: hello my wonderful readers. this story is almost finished so I thought, what the buck, and will be posting weekly same as The One True Queen. hope that makes you happy.

ONWARDS!

A/N 2.0: yo guys... ooops...

Strawberry lemonade...

she dead...

opps. i fixed it! it's okay! no need ta freak...

heh heh.

* * *

Rogue sat at the bar sipping her scotch quietly. Whiskey was eyeing her every so often until he could stare no more and threw down his rag with a sigh.

"What's on yer mind lass?"

"Hows the wolves?" she asked quietly. Whiskey sighed.

"Moongazers almost gone, they're sayin they're gonna do him in next week." Rogue shrunk a bit and drank her drink. "come on lass, yer filled with life you are." Rogue looked at him.

"You'd think…" was all she said. The door banged open and three elderly ponies rushed in.

"Haha! We hit the jack pot! 1000 caps! 1000! In yer faces!" the youngest member said. Youngest might be bit much though, he was 50 something. The eldest member was more machine then pony by now almost 80 years old and senile. The leader of the group was in the healthy middle ground of 64. he walked over and sat next to rogue.

"You're still sitting among us then, haven't tried to gnaw someones flank off." He said derisively. Rogue sighed.

"Hello quick draw." She said quietly. The pony sneered.

"What gives you the right to use my name, you're nothing but a ghoul pony talking." He shouted. The bar fell to a hush. Even whiskey had stopped working and was watching the two.

"And your nothing but a raider with a fancy new name. Don't try to tel me I'm the fucked up one… you're just as bad." She said. Quick draw sneered.

"We're all raider's with fancy new names. You're the fucked up one. A raider and a ghoul…" the mare oit up and threw a few caps on the bar

"Later Whiskey… I'll be back…" she said quietly. Quick draw shouted after her

"What's it feel like to drive your own race to extinction huh?" the brown mare stopped at the door.

"We ponies did that years ago… I know what it feels like already… and killing ghouls doesn't feel like that." She said quietly before she left the bar then the settlement and never looked back. For six days she traveled the wasteland. She pillaged buildings, shared fires with wanderers, raiders and slavers alike. It was a slow life and everyday she felt a bit of herself die inside. Finally she set herself a destination. The tenth day of her personal exile she arrived at the gates of New Appleloosa. It hadn't changed much from the last time she was here. She was just about to enter when a scuffle on the other side of the door made her pause and step back.

"-I din't mean it! Honest! I just need the CAAAAPPPPS!" the blue pony shouted before she was thrown violently out of the town

"An stay out!" one of the sheriff ponies said angrily before the door slammed closed. Rouge looked at the pony. After a while she rolled her eyes and walked over.

"You okay?" she asked blandly. The pony looked up.

"Yeah, I'm good." As she stood Rogue's eyebrows sky rocketed.

"You're a bat pony." She said with a bland surprise. The mare laughed.

"Yep! But that's not why they kicked me out." She said with a smile. Quite suddenly she pulled something out of her saddle bag and instantly Rogue was standing in front of a vendor stall. "Hello and welcome to Luna's tools and Merchandise! How can I help you?" Rogue looked at the stalls nick knacks before she turned back to the mare with a smirk.

"Your stalls a scam." She said with a laugh. The blue bat pony stared at her with an open mouth and wide eyes.

"But… how?" she asked in shock. Rogue laughed.

"That gun is broken, the trigger is bent for one thing. Those bullets are obviously rusted; the paint is chipped in places. That barding isn't stitched together, you've folded it so that it looks like it, but really it's just a bunch of bits of leather folded into fancy shapes. And that lump of coal is really just a rock painted black; there isn't any soot around it. I don't know about the herbs though… I'm not good with that sort of things." Rogue said with laugh. After a few seconds the mare laughed. She threw her arm around the mare.

"I like you! What's your name?" she asked.

"Rogue, you?"

"Moon." She said with a laugh. Suddenly wing beats caused them both to look to the sky.

"How did you get kicked out Moon? I turned for two seconds! Then I look back and they're saying you're not welcome anymore… who this?" The griffin said landing in front of the pair.

"This is Rogue! Rogue this is my body guard Gustevan." She said giving the griffin a hug. The creature rolled his eyes.

"Body guard, really? What's next, chauffeur?" he asked with a growl. Rogue smirked.

"So, a contract?" she asked.

"Naw, I owe her my life." He said through ground teeth "unfortunately."

"Mhm!" she said with laugh. She turned to the brown mare "He got into trouble with a bunch of raiders, and I happened to have a rather choice jewel on me, so I traded the gem for his life…" she snickered "The jewel was fake of course." Rogue looked at her.

"Why?" she asked "You could have sold that fake jewel for a heck of a lot of caps and done something with them." Moon looked at her and smiled.

"I always do the right thing! No matter what! Even if I lose every cap I've saved up for the past 25 years I'll do it!" she said with a smile before she flapped her wings and flew into the air. "anyways… say, do you want to come with us?"

"Hey, you can't offer anything! I'm the one that luges the heavy shit around!" Gustevan said before he turned to the mare and while lighting a smoke "Ya wanna come with?" Rogue looked at the odd pair and looked back at the town.

"If you guys wait ten minuets while I go talk with Ditzy sure…" she said. Moon smiled wide.

"Great! We'll wait right here!" the bat pony said before she settled to stand on the griffin's back. The griffin growled and took another draw from his cigarette.

"Sorry son of a bitch." Rogue mumbled with a smile be fore she entered the town. She looked about the realized with a smile that the town hadn't changed a bit. As she stopped by absolutely everything, something did catch her eye. The town had murals everywhere. "What the fuck?" she said looking at the strange green and yellow blob of Absolutely everything's door.

"Welcome to Absolutely Everything! My name is Silver Bell! How may I help you today!" Rogue jumped up and shouted in shock. Absolutely everything was usually silent save for the sound of chalk on Ditzy's chalkboard or a typewriter clacking away. Rogue stared at the little filly at the counter.

"So… Ditzy got help eh? Where is she?"

"Mommy's visiting a friend right now with daddy, I'm in charge of the shop while she's away, would you like to buy anything today?" the filly asked. Rogue stared.

"Wait, Ditzy's your mom…how?" she asked with a grimace, suddenly wishing not to know detail "You know what, never mind, just tell your… er… mom that her old friend Rogue Ranger came by to see her, Kay?" she watched as the filly began writing her word on a piece of paper and adding it to a stack held down by one of those ridicules coffee mugs.

"Are you sure you don't want this?" the filly said holding up a teddy beard that was missing it's arm "It's the latest addition! I'll give it to ya for…hmmm, 2 caps!" she said and began staring at the brown mare. Rogue blinked before she smiled.

"No thanks kid, I better get going." As she looked back at the door she paused. "Hey kid, are you the one that did all these murals?" the filly nodded happily. Rogue smiled "Nice work kid." As she left the town she admired the murals more and could make out what the blobs actually were now. There was a picture of the town sheriff. Ditzy Doo herself and a great big heart. There was also a bat pony in armor painted over top of Ditzy, possibly 'daddy'? there was also a grey pony with a roan mane and a green blob on her leg with the words 'thank wou Litlpip' underneath. Rogue let an eyebrow raise at that. She thought the mare wasn't welcome in Appleloosa. As she left the town she swore she saw a zebra with an exaggerated smile on the gate but couldn't have known for sure. Outside Moon was still standing on Gustevan's back and she jumped up in glee when Rogue stepped out.

"Hee hee! Okay then! Let's go!" she said happily. Gustevan rolled his eyes and pulled a hidden cart our of a nearby bush.

"Hop in." he said with a roll of his eyes. Rogue stared at the cart and swallowed.

"Wait, you want me to go in that?" the bat pony landed beside them.

"Um yeah, walking would take forever!" she said with a roll of her eyes. Rogue swallowed.

"Up in the sky?" she asked quietly. The pair looked at her and nodded. "Off the…" she gulped. "ground?" the pair stared at her before Gustevan started laughing.

"Ha! You're afraid of heights!" he shouted with a laugh. Rogue snarled.

"Yeah I'm afraid of heights! So what, everyone's afraid of something! What are you afraid of moon?" Moon smiled.

"I'm afraid of bats." She said. Rogue blinked. Then she looked at the mare unimpressed.

"Bats… you're a bat pony and your afraid of bats…" she said with a bland voice. Moon laughed.

"I'm not afraid of bat ponies, just bats! Gustevan shouldn't laugh at you, he's afraid of lightning." Moon said with a look at the griffin who sputtered angrily.

"And for good reason!" he shouted angrily "It's not the same thing!"

"Well you can't expect somepony who can fly to understand being afraid of heights." She said before flapping her wings. "Don't worry, gustevan won't fly too high? Right?" she asked batting her eyelashes at the griffin. He scowled and huffed before he nodded.

"Fine, I'll fly low." He said through grounded teeth. "At least until we get to splendid valley." he said opened the cart door and letting Rogue on. She paused.

"Wait, we're going to splendid valley, the place with all the hell hounds?"

"Yep, I've procured a rather choice gemstone, worth at least 4000 caps in their eyes, I'm gonna try to squeeze a bit more out of them. So we're going to splendid valley then we're going to my hometown, Nightwatch tower." Moon said with a laugh.

"I'm not going anywhere near hell hounds, once is nice enough." Gustevan said with a huff "So we're gonna be flying by the cloud line, hope you're okay with that." He said with a growl. Rogue nodded roughly.

"I'll just covered my eyes and not think about it… I swear to god if you do any fancy flips and catch maneuvers I will shoot you in the head." Rogue said as the griffin hitched himself up. The griffin laughed.

"First thing you've said that makes me like you." He said with a grizzly smile. Rogue huffed and with a leap he was in the air. Rogue supposed it wasn't so bad, she could still make out the grounds features and they were only flying a bit over the tree tops.

"This is okay… don't go any higher!" she shouted when the griffin flapped it's wings to go higher. He huffed and leveled out again. For the night they crossed the wasteland headed north west. They had to go around the everfree and decided to go over the shorted route by shattered hoof. As they reached the edge of Ponyville Rogue expected them to land there. But instead they flew around but away from Canterlot mountain.

"What the hell, hey, why aren't we staying in Ponyville, I mean sure it's crawling with raiders but-"

"Don't you listen to the radio?" Moon asked flying beside the cart "The place is crawling with monsters, some evil overlord named red eyes tried to burn down the everfree, they started running about the town, besides, Littlepip cleared out most of the raiders a while back." She said before she flew ahead. Rogue paused and sighed.

"Fuck, I need to listen to the radio more… I knew some of those raiders." She said with a nostalgic sigh.

"You too eh? I met them a ways back, shared their fire." Gustevan said with a sigh "They're not so bad if you treat them with shit."

"Yeah I know what you mean." The mare said with a sigh. Suddenly a shot rang out and Gustevan banked heavily rising into the air. Rouge screamed bloody murder and held on to the cart for dear life. Moon tried to fly down to stop whoever was shooting but she was too late. Gustevan looked back just in time as a bullet ripped through the cart and through Rogue. Her chest bloomed with blood and she dropped dead. The cart became unbalanced and Gustevan crashed into a nearby tree. He unhitched and flew to the fallen mare.

"Shit shit shit!" he cried as he flew her to the ground. Moon landed and sobbed. No sooner did she do this the prone mare rose into the air and was surrounded by the pink magical aura. But as she landed she still collapsed.

"Fuck." She whispered before she became too weak to keep her eyes open.

"Hey! Hey can you hear me?" called out a strong female voice.

"Give her a rad cola!" a shrieking high voice called out.

"Fuck Rogue, open your mouth!" cried out a foggy male voice. The ghoul slowly slackened her jaw and accepted the cold bottle on her lips. She drank down the cola with zealous and as it was pulled away she paused.

"Rogue? Rouge can you hear us? Please don't turn into a zombie, I'd be sad!" Moon said with a quivering lip.

"I fucking hate radishes." She said weakly. Gustevan laughed heartily at that.

"She lives!" Moon cried. But it sounded rather sinister and evil and included the cliché thunder and lightning. She blushed and giggled at the angry steel ranger beside her. "Oops." The mare leaned over the prone ghoul.

"you alright? My name is Senoir Paladin Oak Tree! WHIPPERSNAP! Apologies for being trigger happy!" she shouted angrily at the relatively young stallion who blushed crimson like the stripes on his power suit. "I'm head of the applejack rangers."

"The what rangers? Hey Gustav, hand me another rad cola." Rogue said trying weakly to rise to her hooves.

"The applejack rangers, steel rangers that have abandoned their hoarding tendencies and embraced Applejack's virtues of honesty, protection, and chivalry. It was started by Sergeant Applesnack Steelhooves, may he rest in peace." She said. Rogue stared.

"You knew Steelhooves?"

"He was my commanding officer." She said with a raised eyebrow. "Did you know him?"

"He was my commanding officer." Rogue said with a bland voice. Oak paused.

"You're welcome to visit his grave, you actually crashed not far room it." She said pointing to the tombstone a ways off. Rogue sat down and sighed.

"Let me get some more rads, then I'll go over." She said before she drained the handed rad cola. The three ponies followed the mare into the stable and looked around.

"Wow! These are so totally cool! Sun lighting, running water! These are amazing!" Moon said bouncing about.

"Yeah, it's a great base, we're taking refugee's all the time." Tree said before she let them into her office. "So, where we're you headed exactly?"

"We're on our way to Ol'niegh then we're going on to Nightwatch." Moon said with a smile.

"Can we stop off at the Hunter's Nook first? I promised the owner I would stop by." Rogue said. Moon smiled.

"Okay, but we can't stay too long, getting to Nightwatch soon is kinda important."

"Why?" Moon just smiled and looked back at the steel ranger.

"Well your cart is unusable, and I'm sorry for that, I can get you a replacement if ya like, why don't you come down to the orchard and I'll let ya pick one out." Oak Tree said before Gustevan nodded and followed the mare out along side the other two ponies. Rogue looked about and sighed before she walked out the way she came. She could hear Moon animatedly trying to scam some of the stable ponies and chuckled a bit. As she left the stable tunnel she took in a deep breath of the irradiated air and the stench of the land. The wind ruffled her mane slightly and she sighed. She stepped forward and looked down at Steelhooves' grave.

"You asshole." She growled. "You were supposed to die after me you fucker." She stared at the cloud cover. The way the unending greenish-grey rolled above. "I never got to say thanks." She said sill staring at the sky "You shouldn't have done that… you had a shit past, and you made up for it in the end…" she looked back at the tombstone and the words carved on it "I had a great past, a warm home, parents who adored me, great friends… and look at me now," she paused and sneered while she tried to holding her shuddering breath "so thanks." She said quietly. She looked down and saw the Applejack statuette sitting in front of the grave. "Shit I haven't seen one of those in forever! Lucky bastard." She said with a huff. She looked at the figurine and smiled "Keep him out of trouble AJ, and wait for me eh." She sighed and with a hoof into her saddle bags pulled out one of her hand guns. She slid out the clip and set it down by his grave. She smiled and stood up. As she turned she stared at Moon and Gustevan. Moon had tears in her eyes. And when Rogue raised an eyebrow she burst into noisy tears.

"That was beautiful!" she said with a sob. She then leaned into Rogue and sobbed all over her. The mare looked at her angrily.

"Get off me!" she said and pushed the mare to the ground where she cried more. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"That's a waste of bullets." Gustevan said nodding to the clip on the grave. Rogue shrugged.

"He gave me that gun, I ought honor him somehow." That made Moon cry harder and her two companions huffed.

"It's so swe-eeee-et!" she cried out and sobbed with renewed vigor. Gustevan put a claw to his face and rogue groaned and stared at her.

"How long is she gonna be like this?" she asked with annoyance.

"Give her a few minuets, if she's not up by then you're gonna have another thing in the cart with ya." He said before he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his bags.

"Oh hey, can I have one?" Rogue asked. Gustevan shrugged and held out the pack. Rogue took one and put it in her mouth before she leaned forward to let the griffin light it. She took a long draw and sighed.

"Fuck, I haven't had one of these in ages… shouldn't have them now, fucking cravings." She said glumly. Gustevan nodded roughly. The pair stood silent while Moon slowly calmed down. Finally the bat pony sniffed and stood.

"I'm okay…" she said quietly.

"About time!" Rogue said before she threw her cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. Gustevan walked over to the cart that the applejack rangers had provided and hitched up.

"All aboard." he said glumly. Rogue snorted and walked onto the cart she shifted around the supplies on it before she settled down and closed the cart loading door. With a run the griffin jumped into the air and began flying low again. Rogue looked back at the crumbling shack and the applejack rangers standing and waving her off.

"Used to be part of them!" she shouted. Gustevan faltered and Moon appeared flying beside the cart with wide eyes.

"You were a steel ranger?!"

"Not really... well kinda! I was in MOWT army!" she said with the roll of her eyes. "I was a sniper."

"Should have guessed that!" Gustevan yelled back. As they began flying over the ghoul wastes Rogue tapped Gustevan's lion leg.

"hey, can we stop at the Hunter's nook! It's right there!" she said pointing at the cluster of buildings in the distance. Gustevan looked at the building and motioned to Moon above. She nodded and they banked towards the shack. As Rouge surveyed the plain before she squinted.

"hey Gustevan! Can you fly that way a bit, really low!" the griffin huffed but complied. Rogue lifted her gun at the ghoul pony ahead of her and fired. The ghoul went down instantly and the pony pumped her gun happily. "I still got it." She said before she turned to the other ghoul and fired again. "Two." The third went down too. "Three." When the fourth was a bit off she tried and missed. "Damn."

"Maybe you don't got it after all." Gustevan said as he pulled out is shotgun and finished it off for the ghoul mare. Rogue sneered and hey landed. She walked around with her knife and shoe claiming the ghouls' ears. She sighed as she stood over the fourth ghoul. Gustevan just shook his head as she climbed back in. "what was the point of that?"

"Well, your gonna need money when we get to the nook."

"I thought you were loaded?"

"I am, but not that loaded… whiskey charges new comers four times the usual price."

"Sounds like a sleazy fucker." Gustevan said angrily as they flew over the destroyed plain.

"He is." Rogue said with a laugh "but he's pretty kind too." Finally the buildings came into focus. "Land outside the walls or you'll have bullets in your brain before you can say squawk."

"Hey! I'm only one quarter bird on my grandmothers side!"

"Could a fooled me." Rogue said with a laugh as the griffin grumbled. They landed outside the gate and Rogue pounded on it.

"Hey Rat Meat! I'm back! I got guest with me!" she said the gate was lifted and the flesh colored stallion nodded before letting the three in.

"Oo… this place is cool! Hey there little pony wanna check out my wares?" Moon began before Rogue dragged her along.

"Don't scam these ponies Moon. You'll never be let back in." Rogue said as she led them to the bar. "Hey Whiskey! Meet my new friends. Moon and Gustevan." Rogue said as they sat at the bar.

"Hello fellow bird of a feather! Names Strike!" a gray griffin hunter said with his two companions beside him. Gustevan looked at the trio and took a sip of his gin.

"Gustevan." He said gruffly holding out his talon. The three shook as if they were old friends before they offered to lead him away. He then shook his head and sat back with Moon and Rogue. The trio spent the early hours of the evening drinking and chatting with whiskey and the other hunters. Quick Draw watched Rogue all through the night, snorting at her recounts to Whiskey or anypony who listened, glaring at Moon with a cynical sneer. When the sun was starting to fall and Moon was beginning to yawn Gustevan and she waved away the pair as they left for sleep.

"You think they're your friends." Quick Draw snarled. Rogue paused in her sip and took it anyway. The old stallion waited for a response and when none came he huffed. "Silent still eh… well you spoke a while back Rogue, can't retreat into silence anymore."

"Goddesses fuck Quick Draw, what is with you, you've got a stick shoved up your ass farther then those brown nosing bastards at tenpony you know that! Leave me the fuck alone! I'm not hurting anybody! So just piss off!" Rogue snarled. The pony glared at her viciously.

"But how long will that last eh. I can see it in your eyes you bitch. The darkness is creeping in. soon, there won't be anything left in that head but a salivating monster. And when you do go, I'm gonna blast your brains out and sell your head to the highest bidder." Suddenly he had a shotgun at his head.

"Yer be needin ta leave now lad."Whiskey said, staring in down the barrel at Quick Draw. He sneered and turned away, motioning to his team and together they left. As they did the chatter returned to the bar. "Don'tcha be listening to him lass. Yer a good pony I say." Whiskey Drops said polishing a glass. Rogue said nothing, taking another sip of her whiskey and was sitting at the bar long into the night.

* * *

A/N: see ya next week everypony ;p

A/N 2.0: there you go! see, no harm no foul!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Moon took in a deep breath through her nose and sighed before doing a barrel roll.

"What a wonderful day!" she said doing a few loop-dee-loops.

"Ugh, don't talk to me." Rogue said with a groan as she held a bag of ice to her head. Gustevan was snickering at her, receiving murderous glares in response. The trio was leaving through the gate when Rat Meat and Blues Rhythm were startle by two of the youngest hunters trying to rush forward for an autograph from Rogue. The gate slammed closed on Moon's wing.

"OOOOWWWWWW!" she screamed out. It rang out across all of the wasteland. Ringing in Rogues ears. The slamming of the gate also rang around. She stared at the bat pony with a withering look as he entire frame drooped. The ground began rumble and shake. "wwwhhaaatss gooooinggggg ooonnnnnn." Moon asked as her hoofs bounced on the ground, still grounded by the gate. The gate was lifted with a great pull from the two ponies who always guarded it. Rat Meat held his binoculars up and visibly gulped.

"Fuck! Get everypony inside! The whole fucking herd is coming this way!" Rogue's eyes fluttered and she sneered at Moon.

"Gustevan, hide this idiot! Then come back here! I'm gonna need your help to fix HER mess!" Gustevan nodded and flew Moon away. Hunters were pouring out of the gate in frenzy.

"Nice going Ranger!" Strike shouted angrily.

"Not my fault!" she growled. A large bat pony snarled and charged forward, nose flaring and eyes wild. Two more bat ponies were pulling him back with tight chains.

"Whoaooo!" the weakest of the two cried out. The leader growled and pulled back harshly. The bat pony stopped but still his eyes were filled with madness. Rogue stared at the pony with harrowing fear. The pony turned to her and stared on blankly. Rogue was frozen in fear.

"Rogue!" Whiskey cried, shaking the mare. She stared at him in fear. "Don't think about it lass! Rat! Keep her away!" he shouted.

"Yeah pop!" the pony said leading her away from the bat pony ghoul. The rumble of the charging ghoul was growing louder

"What do we do?!" a young hunter panicked. Whiskey punched him in the face.

"Keep yourself together lads!" he cried out to them all.

"And mares!" Gunner cried out angrily.

"Right, and lasses!" Whiskey said before cocked his shotgun. Everyone around him nodded. That's when the ponies all turned when Rogue kicked up and stared clicking. They took a few steps back when she crackled before a voice rang out around her.

"HELLO EVERYPONY! Thank you again to Velvet for that brand new recording. Next up, another great song, thanks to Ranger! Thank you." The people all stared as she kicked up until the music was the loudest it could be. _~I believed what we had would last forever, after all the moments we had together, were they meaningless in the end!~_ it was then she pulled out two spherical objects. She pulled back and punted them as far as she could. They crackled to life and suddenly the music was blaring around them all.

"Get ready!" she shrieked as the ghouls charged into view. The ponies and griffins as well as a suspicious looking black pony who may or may not have been dying their stripes away for the past ten years slid into attack positions. As the ghouls charged closer. Rat meat pointed a pistol into the air and fired. With a great cry the ponies charged forward.

"Cry havoc and let slip the wolves of war!" Starlights cried out before he and his companion released their feral team member. Moongazer tore forwards, eyes filled with bloody lust and madness as the ponies met their foe. The two sides collided with great flurry of gore. But the ponies could not stop them selves from confusion as they saw that the ghouls were drawn to the spherical objects as well as Rogue. the hunters galloped and flew about. Bullets and spells flew about. Lights flashes. The ghouls' snarls flooded the ears of every hunter. Suddenly Whiskey's voice cried out above it all.

"EVERYPONY RUN!" they all charged away from the swarm, returning to the hunter's nook. A great explosion flew some of them forwards. the ghouls were falling around them in bits and pieces, limbs coming down in a sick rain. Some ghouls were still stumbling about, their senses confused by the loud noise and light of the explosion. A single silhouette rose out of the wreckage. The ponies stared as Rogue crept forward before she collapsed down to her side. Suddenly she was being swarmed by ghouls. One in particular was Moongazer. As Rogue took them all down in a blaze of bullets she paused at Moongazer. But as he lunged at her with his teeth and mad eyes she was frozen in fear. A bullet tore threw his head and she slowly turned to her side. Quick draw was standing a few feet away with a smoking barel. She stared at him as Whiskey and Gustevan rushed forwards, shoving rad cola's in her face and helping her to her hooves. Quick Draw stared at her then slid his eye to the corpse before going back to her. She stared him down before turning away to discourage Whiskey from having a mental breakdown.

* * *

"You are a nuisance." Rogue growled again.

"I'm sorry." Moon whispered. She hadn't spoken above a whisper since she had left. She was flying low beside the cart, now gliding quickly over the fields to the splendid valley.

"You should be, wasted good bullets moon! Buck me." Gustevan said with a growl.

"No thanks, don't have a feathers kink." Moon whispered. Gustevan facepalmed flapping his wings. Rouge retched as they rose in height.

"Warn a mare." She said before covering her eyes. They had entered splendid valley now and Moon was flying high with Gustevan. Gustevan looked up before he had an idea.

"Go on Moon, I have an idea." He pointed up and Moon nodded before flying off to the only town in miles. With a mighty flap of his wings he rose into the air. Rouge screamed throwing herself onto the floor of the cart. With a great burst Gustevan flew through the clouds. Rogue was blinded and she thought for second that she had fallen out of the cart and died. "Hey Rogue… open up your eyes, missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity here. How many earth ponies can say they've seen the sun." Rogue's eyes flew open and she turned her eyes to the sky in wonder. As she stared at the sun her eyes filled with a tears. Gustevan looked back and his smile fell. As Rogue wiped her eye and smiled he barely heard her whispered.

"Thank you…" he smiled again and they flew above the clouds for a while." Huh, if I don't think about the fact that if I fall out I'll fall through the clouds. It's not that bad." Gustevan rolled his eyes and continued flying low over the clouds. "I haven't seen the sun in 2 hundred years… I forgot how bright it was… and warm." She said before closing her eyes and turning her face up to the sky soaking in the warmth of the sun. Gustevan couldn't help but let his eyes roam over her frame. Her face twitched and she turned to the griffin. "What? Whay are you staring at me?" Gustevan turned away so she wouldn't see the blush that had crept onto his face.

"Sometimes I forget your so old… hard to wrap my head around… I mean, you don't look anything like a ghoul."

"It's the pink could, great presever. I don't look a day over twenty four… I'm two hundred and seventy something… I lost count." Gustevan falutered and fell inot the coulds. He flapped his wings and rose above them again.

"Fuck." He whispered. Rogue was huddeled into the bottom of the wagon, shivering, the sudden drop causing her to go a sickly green shade.

"Urp… I think I'm gonna be sick." She groaned. Gustevan grimanced.

"Sorry, hurl out of the cart will ya, I don't wanna be flying your puke all across the wasteland." Rogue nodded and swallowed until the sickness passed. They flew silently after that, floating just above the clouds, when the drak shape of moon shot up from below.

"WOOOOHHHOOOOO! JACKPOT!" she screamed before she zipped passed them with an audible swoosh. Gustevan rolled his eyes. She flew before him. "all right! To nightwatch tower!" she said pointing into the distance. Suddenly a bullet flew through her leg. "AHHH!" she screamed before she nearly fell through the clouds. Gustevan caught her and began performing evasive menouver as three enclave soldiers chased them. Rogue tied herself to the cart and set up her rifle.

"Level out Gustevan!" she shrieked. The griffin did another loop dee lopp. Rogue choked down her nausea and fired. The bullet ripped through the air and ripped off the right wing of the third soldier. She shrieked and plummeted through the clouds. The enclave soldiers fired a few more times. Rogue could see a bullet flying stright for her eye and pushed the button on her chest. Her metal helmet and neck brace wrapped around her just in time for the bullet to ping off the side of her head audibly.

"Fuck!" Gustevan shrieked. Suddenly Moon shrieked louder. Rogue held her hooves as the screech rang though the air. The enclave soldiers were clutching their helmets as the screech rang through their ear pieces.

"NO PONY HURTS MY FRIENDS!" the mad mare screamed. Eyes red with fury, Her slit pupls deviding lines in a sea of blood. He mane was a tangeled mass of matted fur. "NO PONY!" with a great war cry she desended upon the pegasus. His face exploded in a flurry of blood as Moon plunged her fangs inot the stallions face. his companion screamed in terror, flying backwards from the viscous sight as Moon began tearing the enclave armor opon and plunged down again this time latching onto the stallions neck and slowly draining him dry. Suddenly the last enclave pegasus had a barrel in his eye.

"Pay back." Rogue whispered, deadly quiet. Before her shot rang over the coulds. He turned back to Moon to see the bat pony mare stading on a cloud breathing heavily, hair everywhere, blood dripping down her front. She snorted and huffed, her shoulders rising and falling rapidly.

"Moon!" Gustevan said before smacking her across the face "Snap out of it."

"Ouch! Gustevan, that hurt! What was that for?" she looked around confused. "Where'd the enclave guys go… oh my gosh! Rogue are you okay! I saw them aiming for your head and…"

"Yeah, I'm fine, mrs killer blood wing." Rogue said with a raised eyebrow. Moon blinked before she blushed bight red.

"I went psycho and killed eyepony didn't i."

"yeah, didn't know ya had it in ya." Rogue said. Gustevan snorted.

"She only does that when she's really pissed off. And honestly, shes only done it twice… as far as I know." Gustevan.

"Three times actually. And its not just me, all bat ponies can do that. It was part of our mutation when the bombs fell. We turned into… well… vampires." Moon smiled weakly at that. Rogue snorted, then she chuckeled, then she threw her head back and laughed out loud. After a while she wiped her eye.

"What's so funny?" Gustevan asked with a raised eyebrow. Rogue sighed thrugh her laughter.

"so a zombie, a vampire, and a griffin are sitting at a bar." Rogue said. With that the other two began laughing too and the laughed as they dipped below the clouds. Rogue didn't even notice as they flew down to the ground because for the first time in 200 years she felt like she was with friends.

* * *

At last on the border of the splendid valley Rogue could see it. A huge black and blue tower rising out of a sea of dirt and grime. Not as tall as the enclave towers but just as impressive.

"Welcome to my home town, nightwatch tower!" Moon said leading the way.

"You grew up here?" Rogue asked.

"Born and raised! Erm but I feel I should warn you, there was something I forgot to mention."

"MOON GIVER HAS RETURENED!" a thick accented voice cried out from the parparts. As the trio flew over the wall rogue felt her body tense. The plac with filled with bat ponies and…

"Zebra." Rogue whispered darkly. Moon winced as they landed. Then Rogue blinked. Then she snorted. "Moon GIVER?" Moon groaned and covered her face with her hooves.

"Aw man, I had really hoped you hadn't noticed that."

"Moon Giver!" a light blue bat pony cried out running forward.

"Mom!" Moon cried out hapilly giving the mare a hug.

"Oh look at you, covered in skars! Is that a bullet wound!? Gustevan! Your supposed to be protect her!" the bat pony clucheted onto Moon and looked at her other two companions angrily.

"Mom! It was enclave soldiers, not their fault." Moon said with a huff. The bat pony looked around worriedly then up at the cloud cover.

"My name is Moon Dancer, thank you for protecting my daughter. Now Moon, you have some errands to run I take it?" Moon Dancer was looking at her daughter with a proud smile. Moon Giver smiled and nodded happily.

"Come on guys!" she said before they began walking through the town. Rogue followed curiously. The first place they stoped was at a local food store. "I would like a years worth of food please." She said happily. Rogue smiled happily, of course, now they can pay for supplies. Nice.

"Here you go, go make those fillies smile, Moon." The vendor said. Rogue frowned. Fillies?

"I will thanks!" Moon said before trotting out of the store. Next they went to the clothes store where Moon spent an inordinate amount of money on childrens clothes. Then she went to the medical stand were she bought bandages and stimpaks enough to last them at least a year on the wastes, maybe even longer. As Moon trotted off again, leaving Rogue in a sea of confusion. Gustevan snorted beside her.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Rogue stared at him in confusion. He just snorted and took another drag of his cigerette. The last stop was the orphanage. Rogue was confused as to why they were there. When the door opened a dozen little bat pony and zebra foals burst out.

"WOONGIVER!" one particularly loud child cried before throwing herself at the mare.

"Hey Starlight!" Moon cried before she handed the elderly matron her bag of goods. Rogue's eyes shrunk to pin pricks and her mouth dropped open in horror. As Moon chattered away with the matron Rogue felt as though her ears were filled with cotton.

 _She gave it all away_ Rogue thought with horror _she spent all her money on food and supplies and gave it all away._

 _"H_ _ave you met anypony particularly generous?"_

"You're the pony Homage is looking for." Rogue said with a whisper as Moon turned to her.

"What?" Moon asked with confusion. Rogue sighed and looked at her again.

"You have to go to manehattan. You need to meet dj pom-3." Rogue said. Moon and Gustevan stared at her in confusion. Un beknowest to them a silent sprite bot was hovering just behind the corner and the mare behind it was smiling wide.

* * *

"But why?" Moon asked as they flew over the wastes. Rogue shook her head.

"I don't know why, all I know is she was looking for someone generous." Rogue said before she sighed and clicked on the radio.

"-and now for some news! Seems that Fillydalphia is slowly creeping up from that oppressive bastard red eye's oppressions. Now enclave activity has been increasing as of late but a little pony whispered in my ear that all of that is about to change. Hope is on its way to manahattan as I speak my children. Sit back and pray to the goddesses for them. Enough of that, now for some music, another wonderful song from the Ranger, thanks again you bucking bitch!" with that the radio crackeled as very unbeat bouncy music began pouring out of the speakers. _" My name is Pinkie Pie! HELLO! And I am here to say! HOW YA DOIN? I'm gonna make you smil-"_

"That's quite enough of that." Rogue grumbled. Moon appeared beside her with a heartbroken sad face.

"That song sounded so happy." She mumbled as a crocodile tear drooped onto her cheek. Rogue groaned and after one minute Rogue grolwed and flipped the radio back on.

 _"_ _come on everypony smile, smile, smile, fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine-"_

"Turn that off before I blast it through your side." Gustevan snarled out through a twised up beak. Rogue gladly did and the rest of the flight to Manehattan was silent. Rogue stuffed her face under the luggage as Moon and Gustevan flew higher to avoid both the buildings, dangerous creaters and the toll both that Rogue had warned them about. As they approached tenepony tower a young mare's voice crackeled over Rogue's radio, despite it being off.

"Hey! You made it!" Gustevan faultered causing Rogue to place a hoof over her green face. she groaned as he leveled out. "Geez sorry about that!"

"Who are you and howd the fuck you hack into my radio… it's not even on!" Rogue realized with a start.

"Oh I didn't hack into it, you're so close to tenpony that I was able to leap into it's mainframe."

"Who are you?" Rogue asked untrustingly. There was radio silence, as if the mare was talking with somepony else, before it crackeled and she responded.

"When you get up to the gates, tell the guard that the toaster repair pony sent you to help fix the air conditioning." With that the radio crackeled off again.

"Well that was weird." Moon said with a raised eyebrow as the trio slowly desended down to the gates of tenpony tower. When they got their Rogue stepped forward.

"Er, the toaster repair pony sent us to help fix the air conditioning?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. The guard raised his own eyebrow in response.

"Didn't belive her then, don't belive you now but…" he trailed off with a grumble and the trio entered tenpony. It was just as posh as Rogue remembered it. But the glitter was new to Moon and she was very tempted to set up her scam stall. She nearly had before Gustevan literally dragged her unto the elevator.

"But they're so IGNORAAAANNNNNTTTTTT!" she cried as the girffin pushed the button and the door closed. Moon sobbed in the corner the ride up. But by the time they got to the top floor she was bouncing again. Rogue rolled her eyes. Talk about bounce back. When the door opened Rogue stepped forwards while Moon and Gustevan looked around.

"hello! Welcom to ten pony tower!" Homage called from the other room. She was followed by a spirte bot that hovered beside her, almost like a lost puppy. "this is the studio of DJ POM-3, feel free to look around!" she said

"Also known as the office of a deceased self centered purple unicorn…" Rogue drawled "some things never change." That comment made Homage's face heat bright red. She looked ready to elxplode when the sprite bot piped up.

"You must be Rogue." the sprite bot said, using the same voice of the mare who had hi jacked Rogue's radio "It's nice to finally meet you. From what Homage said you're almost as famous as I am, in a different way." Rogue looked at the sprite bot. After a few seconds she snickered, then chuckeled, then threw her head back and laughed.

"You're stuck in a crusader maneframe! Bahahaah! Oh man! You saved equestria! Then got stuck in a crusader manefrahahme! Ha! Ahhh…" Rogue said wiping away fake tears. Homage looked furious. The sprite bot fluttered it's wings as if agast.

"You mock my pain?" Rogue's chuckeled became sardonic.

"I mock everyone's pain but my own." She said deadpanned. The ponies in company looked flabbergasted. Rogue shrugged. "I'm from Canterlot." This caused the spirte bot to buzz with what might have been laughter before it floated away to settle on the side table and a mobile tv wheeled around the corner. Featuring the face of Littlepip. Moon gasped and fainted. Gustevan's eye widened slightly but he otherwise made no move of greater shock. Rogue just blinked glumly.

"Much better." Littlepip said with a contented sigh before she turned to Moon. "So, you're the elment of generosity… explains why I never found you, I didn't know there were any other bat ponies besided Lionheart." Moon chuckeled and slid up to the tv.

"Ah, old uncle lionheart, never could keep a good bat down, He's my great great great great great great great uncle on my father side four times removed you know." Littlepip looked at her, blinking before she put on a worried frowned.

"Are you related to Pinkie Pie?" Moon gasped audibly.

"How did you know! She's my fouth cousin's seventeen times removed brother's cousin's great great great great grandfather cousin's-" Gustevan shoved a hoof in her mouth.

"I used that on a raider once, not pretty. They aren't really related at all actually, it ends with grandmother's best friend." The griffin rolled his eyes. "Apparently friendship counted as blood back then."

"It kinda did." Rogue said glumly. The conversation after that was quick. Soon it came to the time to leave.

"Wait! You're not coming with us?" Moon asked as she saw Rogue turn for the door as they were about to take off. Rogue looked at the pair and shook her head.

"Sorry, but… I've gotta save equestria my way." With that Moon looked at her sadly before Gustevan took off leaving the mare behind. Rogue stood on the balcony watching them go for a long while before she turned to leave.

"Hey Ranger!" Homage called out. Rogue bristeled with a huff.

"I wish you wouldn't call me that."

"Too bad! Where're you headed? I could get you supplies…"

"Do those supplied include rad cola?"

"No…" Homage said with a frown.

"Then no… see ya tenpon." With that Rogue entered the elevator. When she exited tenpony she readied her gun and walked out into the wasteland.

She would never see Gustevan or Moon Giver again.

End of part one.

* * *

A/N: I just made it super sad didn't i… opps…

Anyways. Part two is well on its way; soon I'll be finished with it and starting part 3

But man she's a bitch….

Rogue, not Homage.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Here you go another chapter. Wub you all... heh heh...

* * *

Rogue stood over looking the wastes. It had been a week since she'd left Moon and Gustevan behind. She hadn't heard any news from Pom-3's channel, probably with Homage out someplace. It didn't really matter. Deep down Rogue knew she probably would never hear from those ponies again… now that thought was depressing. Rogue pushed away those thoughts and looked out inot the wastland again, but her heart wasn't in hunting today. With a sigh she began walking. As she did the action became motorized until she didn't even realize she was walking. Slowly she shuffeled forwards, that's when a echoing sound caught her ear. It twitched and she instinctually turned her head. Without even realizing it she began to move towards the sound. Slowly she walked on, shuffling. She could here others like her drawn to the sound but paid no heed. Soon she was in a small group of others but still they did not faze her. At last she came to the source of the sound. A radio tower. She stared at it vacant eyed when a fluttering shape caught her eyes. It was a pegasus, flying around the antenna, causing the music to play. In an instant Rogue's pupils shrunk to pencil points before they exploded until the dark forest green of rouges iris was a line around a sea of dark smoky grey. She drew a deep shuddery breath before she and the other charged forwards in a visous mob. As they charged Rogue's vision pulsed red and suddenly everything began moving in slow motion. The pegasus turned a pregasus gun towards her. In a split second she slammed the button on her friont, ducked, and rolled away as the laser split the sky with an audible zap. She stood frozen, panting in horror, staring at the ground as ghouls rushed passed her, attracted by the music. Suddenly a shrill scream rent the air. Rouge looked up in shock and felt as if she were thrown back in time. A cloud city was falling through the perpetual fog. Suddenly the green pegasus with blue and grey hair, a ripped lab coat with stains that looked suspisously like blood and glasses, from before hovered before her.

"My word! You're alive!?" he asked in shock.

"In a manner of speaking." Rogue said. Suddenly an explosion rang from above them. The city was beginning to fall apart. Parts of it were exploding off and that was when Rogue's sensitive ears picked up the faint ticking coming from the pegasus. "what is that…" she began fearfull.

"A count down, for the balefire bomb." The pegasus responded. Rogue's eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" with that she spared no words. She ran as fast as her hooves would let her, charging forwards. suddenly the pegasus was next to her. His eyes too were filled with fear. "You're insane!"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time!" he shouted back angrily. Faster they ran until the ground and air quivered as an explosion rippeled behind them. On they ran as fast as they could. after one hour the pair turned back. A great green cloud was wafting out from the explosion. The pegasus weased beside her, panting in exaughstion. Quick as lightning Rogue had her gun at his nose.

"Who the FUCK are you and why the FUCK did you blow up…"

"New Clousdale." The green pegasus supplied.

"I don't give A HOLY FUCK WITH PRINCESS CELESTIA what the FUCKING CITY WAS CALLED!"

"I blew it up because they were slaughtering ponioes!" the pegasus responded with an angry huff. Rogue's angry brow rose to confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked angrily.

* * *

"This place is amzing! Look at all this pre war technology! There's nothing like this in the clouds." The pegasus cried out as he happily skipped along the old road he and Rogue walked on. In the distance Rogue could see a shack where she intended to rest for a bit.

"Back to the topic on hand pegasus."

"Yes! Right!" the pegasus said with hard frown. "Have you ever heard of the rainbow factory?" Rogue stopped and laughed.

"You mean the ghost story the used to tell at slumber parties? You can't honestly belive that." Rogue said with a laugh. Then her face grew hard "You blew up a city over a gohst story!?"

"It's not a story!" The pegasus cried. "I know because I saw it! They… they murdered my sister…" Rogue stared at him for a bit.

"Hang on… baggy eyes, mysterious stains, ripped lab coat… you worked there didn't you?" Rogue said. The pegasus sighed and shuffeled ahead a bit.

"When I saw my sisters lifeless body… it all rushed back, the blood, the tourture, my childhood…" the pegasus was ridgid with anger now. "They took me from my home and brainwashed me! They took everything I loved, promising a perverse equivalent that they never met. They deserved to die!" by the end of his rant he was panting rapidlky in anger. Rogue walked up to him.

"You're right. They did… gods… a real rainbow factory… why?" Rogue asked in confusion. The pegasus smiled after that.

"Well you see… pegasus weapons and power armor are powered by rainbows." Rogue blinked. Then she threw back her head and laughed. The pair walked aimlessly long after, their mirth never leaving them. At last the arrived at the shack. As they sat there Rogue rested for a bit letting her eyelids sink closed.

"OUCH!" cried the pegasus as a sprite bot appeared out of no where and shocked him.

"What. The. Fuck. man." Littlepip cried out angrily. Rogue sighed.

"Finally caught up huh?"

"Do you know what this is gonna do? By the end of this half of the waste will be in accessible! The cloud could go all the way to friendship city! Buck me with Celestia's hooves!" Littlepip cried before she zapped Rogue. the mare surged to her feet, quicker then anything either of the other ponies had seen. She shook all over like a dog and the sparks jumped off her skin.

"Thanks for the juice Pipsqueak." Littlepip growled angrily at that. She turned to the pegasus.

"What's your name?" she demanded angrily. The pegasus sighed.

"I don't have one." He said sadly. That made Littlepip stall a bit. "When you were born on new Clousdale you were assigned a number and a colour. I am 57 veridian. That is my number or colour specialty. If I passed the physical test, which I did, I would be in charge of creating the coulor green in the rainbow. If not, I would be the 57th victim of that year for the rainbow, providing the shade…"

"Viridian." Littlepip finished with a weary tone.

"Wow… what if your like me or pip over here and your colour isn't found in the rainbow?" Rogue asked.

"You're taken from your families and sent to live with a new family in one of the military cities, iqaluflit or windepeg. My eldest brother was sent there, he had a black coat. Useless to the factory. The absense of colour, almost as useless as white."

"Why is white useless?" Littlepip asked in horrified fasination.

"It makes the colors too faint. In order for the rainbow to be usable it must be a complete, vibrant, spectrum. Otherwise, it's useless once it's put in the machine."

"Wait? You put rainbows in machines?" Littlepip asked in confusion. Rogue smirked.

"Yeah, get this midgit. The pegasi use rainbows to power their armor and weapons. Not so pissed off now huh?" Littlepip was silent before the sprite bot cut out and began playing that incredibly annoying music that Rogue remembered only too well. That music would be blaring in the streets of Canterlot for hours on end. One went mad from it before long, and began searching for places where the music couldn't perpetrate. Rouge had lived her childhood in those back alleys, escaping the pain of home. With a sigh Rogue rose up and again the ponies traveled. Soon Canterlot Mountain rose up from the endless desert.

"Fascinating!" the pegasus cried flying forwards. "I've only seen pictures of this mountain… it's so much more spectacular in person… I suppose the old capitol is on the other side of the mountain?" the pegasus asked happily. Rogue glared.

"it's not on the other side of anything anymore, your enclave blew it off the face of the earth." The pegasus landed with a heavy heart then.

"It's a shame…" he looked to the old mountain with a disappointed air "I should liked to have seen it…" for two days they traveled away from the crash site. They saw the cloud of fallout being spread by the wind. The two stood for a moment.

"Do you ever wonder if the other kingdoms were hurt just as bad? I had a few friends in Saddle Arabia and Griffinstone…" Rogue trailed off as they watched the cloud of dangerous toxin swirl in the distant sky.

"I know very little about this world… all we have is music…" he said. Rogue looked at him.

"Hey yeah! That song was actually pretty cool? Where'd you get it?" Rogue asked. The pegasus smiled slightly.

"I wrote it and a young stallion named Sound Byte sang it." Rogue smirked.

"Ah, a buck of many talents eh?" the pegasus chuckled

"Perhaps… would you like to hear some?" Rogue smiled.

"Sure, why not." The pegasus smiled before he asked to borrow her player. Soon an up beat country bumpkin song began playing.

"This is a classic where I come from. It's one of my favorites." The pegasus said before a female voice with a southern accent began singing. _Day one, wars begun come on Johnny get yer gun. At fruit camp we learn to shoot, boy my helmet sure looks cute-_

"Is this… supposed to be… applejack?" Rogue began dangerously.

"Not supposed to be! It is!" the pegasus cried before he began dancing along to the music. _Day two, lost ta do. Rarity is working too! War is like an apple farm, raze this field and raise this barn! so far, it's a breeze! Some civilian casualties, Hit your mark and fatal blow, grab your partner dose doe!_

"THIS IS HIGHLY OFFENSIVE!" Rogue cried out in anger. The pegasus looked at her in confusion.

"What so offensive about it? It's a recount of the war…" Rogue stared at him.

"This is what they tell you the war was like?! Look around crooked feathers! Does this look like sunshine and rainbows?" the pegasus trailed off with a pale face. _Take off, bombs away, in my plastic areoplane. Hope my back up gets here soon, hey it's twilight sparkle's balloon!_ The recorded played the sound effect of a mega spell going off. It made Rogue flinch and she stared at the radio as if it held her most hated enemy. _Day three, out at sea, in my apple submarine. In the silence spending time, ruminating on my crimes._ The ghoul turned her face to stare at the pegasus in front of her.

"So what your saying is… it's not real? None of it was real? But…"

"You lived in a city were they cut up ponies to make rainbows. Heck, you were one of the ones doing the cutting, and your amazed that your government was lying to you?"

"I don't understand." The winged pony mumbled. _White flag, we're not done, got those cowards on the run, round em up no need to stall, take no prisoners KILL THEM ALL!_ With that Rogue screamed bloody murder and began chasing the pegasus across the plains. They were approaching the Hunter's Nook and who should be on guard duty but Quick Draw. All he saw was Rogue chasing a pony with murder in her eyes so he loaded his pistol and waited for a better shot. But as they got closer he could see that Rogue was throwing things at the pegasus and calling him foul names. At last she caught the poor fellow and punched him in the face a few good times before she began stomping on her record player.

"you're lucky this time you crazy bitch…" Quick Draw growled angrily. Down near Rogue the song was coming to an end, despite how she was attempting to destroy her gun slash radio. _War horse, proud to be, freedom isn't everfree, hung my ribbons at the door, that's how apples won the war…_ with that the song trailed off. Rouge was sobbing now. A bloodied pegasus placed a hoof on her shoulder. She whipped around and punched him again before she sniffed and wiped her nose.

"okay…" she sniffed "I forgive you." All the pegasus did was groan.

* * *

My thoughts on how Rogue would respond to that song... more Mr pegasus

Yes... he doesn't have a name yet ;)

It's supposed to be like that.

See you next week :p


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A/N: Erm I'm gonna put a gore warning here... while there is a blanket over the whole thing I want to make it especially apparent here.

even I gagged a bit at certain parts... mainly the dissection bit...

Urp... you'll see.

* * *

"Thank you mister…" the pegasus began.

"Whiskey Drops… now Rogue, it ain't like ya, lass, to beat up an innocent buck so tell me, might this fellow have anything ta do with the other city falling out there?" the golden earth pony asked suspiciously. Rogue finished her drink in one gulp and looked at Whiskey with hollow eyes.

"It's a looooonnngggg story Whiskey." Rogue said before she took another drink from him. The owner huffed and went back to running the bar. The pegasus turned to her and smiled gratefully before he took his first drink. He supptered and coughed and choked a bit.

"Wow…" he began with a hoarse voice "They don't make it like that in the clouds." That made several ponies around the pair guffaw in laughter. Whiskey came over with a sparkle cola.

"Here ya go lad, it's more suited for a stallion of your… pallet." He said with a smile. The pegasus took it and had a long drink.

"Mm, carroty… but with a slightly bitter after taste… why's that?"

"Well lad, it's over two hundred years old." That made the pegasus pale "then there's the radiation." That made him push the bottle away "oh it's not enough ta kill ya lad, just put some flesh on yer bones." With that Whiskey walked off to talk with another customer. The pegasus eyed the bottle before he took another cautious sip.

"It's fine Feathers."

"Feathers?" the pegasus asked.

"No, not working for ya? How bout Dash?"

"Good heavens no!" the pegasus cried.

"Gah… Sorin?" Rogue asked. The pegasus frowned.

"Where have I heard that name before…"

"He's a two hundred year old wonder bolt, raised in Clousdale. Anyways, I gotta call you something…"

"Why don't you call me 'Laaadd' like your charming friend over there." Rogue shook her head.

"Nah, Whiskey calls everyone Lad and Lass, I gotta call you something original… too bad there's no cutie mark for me to base a name off… why is that?" the pegasus smiled weakly.

"My destiny wasn't in the clouds…" the pegasus trailed off. Suddenly the door to Whiskey's bar banged open. Gunner of the mare's of war burst in panting.

"Quick Draw had a heart attack!" with that everyone rushed out the door. The flighted ones were there first.

"Out of my way! Out if my way!" the pegasus called before he wormed through the crowd. He checked the prone stallions vitals before he began compression and breaths. Rogue pushed through to.

"What do ya need Doc?" Rogue asked.

"a rainbow defibrillator." The pegasus said.

"Don't have one of those." The pegasus went down from another two breathes.

"Then something to give a strong electric jolt."

"We have the generator panels." Gunner said.

"That'll work!" the pegasus cried before he gave to more breathes. Strike of grey task team returned with those panels. The pegasus took them.

"CLEAR!" with that he placed the panels on Quick Draw's body. With a jolt the old earth pony gasped and began coughing.

"Hey Quick Draw, you alright?" Rogue asked as she lifted the pony over her shoulders.

"Rogue… your friend... just saved my life didn't he…" the old pony asked angrily.

"Yeah he kinda did, sorry Draw." Rogue said before she went into the med hut. She could see that the regular doctor was very busy in surgery with all of his nurses. One of the nurses rushed over with her medical bag.

"Sorry for the delay, I was just about to leave. I'll take him from your hooves." With that Quick Draw was placed on a bed. He began cursing at the nurse, who, after years of working with ex raiders and slavers alike, wasn't really fazed. As Rogue left the med bay she saw that the pegasus was surrounded by hunters thanking him. as Rogue approached the hunter's retreated save whiskey, who shook the pegasus's hoof heartily, before he went back to the bar.

"Hm…" Rogue began standing before the pegasus. "Doc… I like it." The pegasus laughed. They stayed for a few hours before a ragged Quick draw stumbled into the bar.

"Ya alright there Quick?" Rogue asked from her spot across it. The bar was silent, fearing for the mares life. Quick Draw just sneered and demanded a drink for an almost dead buck. Rogue smiled and went back to her drink. Doc shrugged and turned to her again.

"Well, are we going soon?"

"Sure th-" Rogue was cut off by a bang. Quick Draw blew the smoke from his barrel and went back to his drink. Doc and Rogue looked at the hole in Rogue's chest. "Oh." She finished lamely before she fell to the floor.

"GET THAT SORRY SON OF A BITCH OUT OF MY BAR! I DON'T GIVE CELESTIA'S OPEN WET PUSSY IF HE ALMOST DIED! OUT!" Whiskey cried before he dashed to Rogue's side. "Come on lass, speak ta me!" he cried shaking the mare. It was then that she lifted into the air and with a swirl of pink landed on her fours again, before she collapsed to the ground.

"Ugh…." She moaned. The hunter's all looked at each other.

"Has she turned…" Gunner asked worriedly when Rogue din't make another sound.

"No you bitch…" Rogue groaned out. That made the hunter's chuckle. A rad cola was shoved in her face. Doc was pacing, thinking, and mumbling to himself when the others hoisted Rogue onto a chair.

"So… those creatures that you hunt… they're called ghouls?"

"Yeah Doc…" Rogue said quietly.

"And you are one?"

"A special kind of ghoul…" Rogue said warily. "a pink cloud ghoul."

"And that's what causes the resurrection? This special form or radiation?"

"Yeah." Rogue said quietly. A few seconds of quiet led to slight feeling of disappointment before she steeled herself for rejection.

"That is… fascinating!" the pegasus finished, causing Rogue's mouth to drop open and her eyes to widen. "I have to study this! This whole thing is highly intriguing! They don't teach about radiation and it's effect in the clouds… simply astounding…" the pegasus began going on and on about this topic when Whiskey came and set a drink in front of Rogue.

"I don't care that you say you're a bad pony lass," The pair looked at Doc who was using an old pencil stud to write down ideas about radiation. "You have a habit of finding good ones."

"Yeah… I do." Rogue said thinking back to her childhood friends, those hours in the alleys, her first training day, all those times, before the war ended, before her life ended, and her slow death began. With that Rogue moved to sit by Doc and listen to his crazy theories all night.

* * *

"I still think this is a terrible idea Doc. Feral ghouls are nasty pieces of work…" Rogue said uncertainly when Doc asked Rogue to catch him a 'live' feral ghoul.

"Oh it'll be fine! It's just one ghoul! Besides! You're a master hunter! How hard could it be?"

"Well," Rogue began, scanning the horizon "First we have to find one… not surprisingly the population of ghouls has dropped as of late. What with everypony trying to kill them." She scanned again, sighing when she saw nothing. "Hey Doc, fly up high and tell me what you see." The pegasus did and pointing to the east.

"There is one about ten miles that way!" Rogue nodded before she began running at an even gate. After a while Doc came down to fly beside her.

"I'm afraid your galloping attracted about half a dozen more ghouls…" Rogue looked back and cursed. With a leap she turned and fired three rounds. Two hit the first ghoul bringing him down. The third blasted a hole through the second ghouls ear. Rogue stood still as she watched with slight mirth as Doc began yelping as the ghouls chased him. They were jumping like fish in a tank trying to catch him while he flew.

"Erm... heh heh… Rogue… I've changed my mind… a dead subject is just fine." Rogue shook her head with a smile before she loaded her gun with a snap.

* * *

"Lets begin shall we!" Doc said before he pulled the plastic gloves, lent to him by the medic in the hunter's nook,and released them with a snap. He shoved his gloved hooves into the rotting ghoul corpse and ripped the rib cage apart. "Hmm, most of the organs are gone… this poor fellow has no right lung… I supposed one doesn't need to breath… wait… you breath. I've seen you gasp and pant."

"It's reflex." Rogue said looked around the cottage they had found. They were currently using the kitchen as an autopsy room and the downstairs bathroom as a laboratory.

"Interesting." Doc jotted that down in his book before going back to the corpse. "Male… fully grown… pegasus… you can see the scaring where his wings were torn off… must have been flying away from the city…" Doc sifted through more before he moved to the head. Rogue had been sure to avoid head shots as Doc instructed, now she knew why. Doc pulled part of the skull away and reached in for the brain. He pulled out a shriveled black and red mass before he plopped it in a pot they had found. "Mostly shriveled… some parts appear almost… swollen…" Doc said before he held the brain up and examined it. " This is truly fascinating… the frontal lobe is completely shriveled up! Yet the motor cortex has swelled."

"English doc." Rogue said with a huff as she drank some rad cola. Doc huffed and turned to her.

"The part of the brain that controls thought and speech is shriveled up while the part of the brain that controls movement has swelled… see this red coloration it's not blood but some kind of discharge… most likely some kind of radiation… the brain is still as it was in the old time when this fellow was alive… a sustainable battery only instead of sending signals to the body, while the heart and lungs provide air to make it function, this brain sustains itself by continuously producing radiation." Doc turned then and took a sip of rad away and crunched a few more rad-x tablets. He paused before he looked underneath the brain. "This creature has no sense of time." he said sadly. Rogue looked up then, staring at the pegasus who had grown grim. "And with the occipital lobe so small the only thing this creature knows is light and darkness… endlessly charging without sleep you say? This is why." Doc said gravely holding the brain "Not because they're insane… to them… the war is still going on… to these creatures… a day hasn't passed since the explosion." Rogue stared at the pegasus until she rose and shook her head before she walked away. For two hours she stood in the backyard watching the sky, the faint glow of the sun telling her of passing time. "Rogue! Rogue you must come see this!" Doc called from inside. The mare leapt into action and, upon seeing no danger, went into the kitchen.

"Jeez Doc, you scarred me half to death!" she griped.

"Well you already are dead, wont do much good! Look at this!" he cried excitedly. "This is a piece of the brain I took away to examine the inner brain, You should know that the instinct part of the brain has completely taken over the inner brain, anyways I accidentally spilled a bit of my rad away on the brain and look!" Rouge stared down at the brain. What was once a blackish muck was now more dark grey muck.

"Erm yeah, it's a two hundred year old brain… hooray." She said with sarcastic enthusiasm. Doc shook his head.

"No, it's a two hundred year old HEALTHY brain. That of a thirty seven year old pegasus stallion."

"What do you mean healthy?" Rogue asked in confusion.

"The rad away cured the brains radiation… true the swelling is still there, but it looks to be receding…" he looked down at the ghoul corpse. "All the ghouls need to be released from a feral existence is a rad away bath." Then Doc shook his head "At least in theory… I could be wrong…"

"I don't think you understand how ghouls work Doc…" Rogue said gravely.

"What do you mean?" Doc asked with a gnawing disappointment.

"If a ghoul losses all of it's radiation, it dies… your holding a piece of DEAD healthy brain Doc…" the pegasus's ears drooped in disappointment. "no matter what you do there isn't anything that can bring back the too far gone Doc…" the Doc turned back to the corpse sadly, then he gasped and turned back to Rogue.

"But what about pink cloud radiation! Your come back when you die, as long as your head isn't struck! Does that effect the rate the ghouls become feral?" he asked excitedly. Rogue stared at the Doc for a few seconds before she sighed.

"Doc… you know when we first met… when I was charging with those ghouls… and you shot at me?" the pegasus nodded with confusion in his face. "If you hadn't raised your gun… if you hadn't tried to shoot me… I was almost gone Doc… I slipped away…" the Doc was staring at her in shock. He removed his glasses and sighed.

"So… the radiation simply preservers the body, not the mind… while fascinating it is also highly disappointing…" he sighed before he went to lift the body. "help me dump this will you, it's staring to stink up this place." Together Doc and Rogue brought the body outside. Doc insisted they bury the body. "He may have died many years ago and gone feral but he deserves a proper burial." Doc demanded. Together the pair dug a hole and buried the body up. "Rest in peace my friend." Doc mumbled before he returned back inside. He took up some buff biceps cleaner ('heck YEEEAHHHH It'll clean stuff!') and began scrubbing the table. Soon it was clean of any blood and he pulled off his gloves. "It's times like this that I despise the war…"

"You and me both Doc… I assume all your medical training comes from the factory?"

"I was chief medical officer…" the pegasus confirmed. There was a silence from a while as Doc sipped some rad away. After a while he paused… and looked at the bottle.

"wait a minute… perhaps… if it were some stronger form of radiation… a pink vapor… wait! Rogue! open your mouth!"

"Hey what!" Rogue cried as Doc pried her jaws apart.

"Your teeth are brown! But they appear strong… your guns are weak but your teeth… this is dental fluorosis… do your joints stiffen up often?"

"Mhphms." Rogue moaned angrily.

"Oh right!" the Doc released her mouth. She licked her palette and grimaced.

"Dirty hooves, no thank you, and no, I don't get weak joints."

"How did you become a ghoul exactly?" Rogue stared at the Doc as he pulled out his notebook and jotted down some notes.

"I got a blast back face full of pink cloud." She grumbled.

"And that killed you instantly?" he was still writing.

"Took about three seconds."

"I knew it." He mumbled. "Wait… iodine is weaker then uranium and plutonium… in order from the radioactivity to be stronger… but…" that's when Doc gasped.

"What is it doc? And try to speak English."

"I know what the pink cloud was made of." The Doc said with wide eyes. Rogue couldn't believe her ears.

"So, what's it made of?" Rogue asked as she followed the Doc into the bathroom. He had a few chems he was in the middle of deconstructing as well as some rad cola and rad away.

"It's a very rare metal halogen, named astatine. It has an exceptionally small half life, meaning it breaks down exceptionally quickly, and gives off massive amounts of heat… you have burn scars, your flesh is discolored, vaguely, from them that's how I knew. It seems the zebra found a way to control the decay and forced it into a container with another halogen, fluoride. It's a highly reactive acid. put them together and all that's needed is a fuse… the only thing is that the gas would only have remained for six to twelve days not two hundred years…"

"That can't be right then Doc… the gas made Canterlot near inaccessible… the only way that could work…"

"Is if it was continuously being produced…"

"You're saying they were controlling the reaction? It would have fallen apart by now Doc, there are hardly any traditionalist zebra left in the wasteland." The Doc paused until his eyes lit up with a realization.

"The discharge! In the brain of the ghoul there was discharge! That would continuously be produced as long as the radiation levels remained intact… that discharge was similar to your saliva I noticed… you exhale microscopic amounts of radiation each breath."

"So, how does that help, I'd have to be like… a thousand times my size to exhale enough radiation to created the pink cloud… wait… you don't mean…"

"A dragon." Doc said with a nod. Rogue was flabbergasted. "They are known to hibernate for hundreds of years, and they often snore, exhaling…"

"Smoke." Rogue mumbled in shock "The pink cloud was caused by an irradiated dragon who was snoring?!" Doc nodded.

"Sleeping in the bowels of the city, probably had been for millennium. The zebra knew, don't ask me how, and set off a radioactive reaction in the dragon's chamber. Dragons are known to have impressive resistance due to their scales. It likely felt naught but a an itch in it's sleep when the radiation set in and voila!"

"A pink cloud machine." Rogue mumbled quietly, reminiscing about that day. She'd had another fight with her father about the war, her mother had wished her a good day and told her to stay away from tuna. Circuit wasn't talking to her and Sleazy was nowhere to be found. She left the city after the screening and walked down to her station where she reported to commander Pokey Pierce.

"Hello? Rogue… I know this news must have shocked you…" Rouge shook her head.

"Sorry just thinking back… it had been such a normal day…" Doc was looking at her forlornly.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like… waking up alive… dying by midday…" Rogue didn't say anything, just let her thoughts swirl light the pink she remembered so well.

* * *

"Doc, I'm telling you, don't get your hopes up… for all we know the dragon left when the city was shot down… I still think you're insane." Rogue said as she followed the pegasus. Rogue had laughed out loud when Doc asked her to take him to the wreckage of Canterlot, until she realized he wasn't joking, then she got annoyed. "What is it with you and doing dangerous things?"

"For the sake of science my dear friend, science." Doc replied before he took another drink of sparkle cola. He was addicted to the stuff, it was nothing like he'd ever tasted before.

"Gods, of all the things you could be why'd it have to be a doctor… I hate doctors." Rogue said angrily. Doc frowned.

"Why ever?" Rogue didn't reply for a long time but after a while she realized she might as well tell someone about then…

"My father," she began quietly. "he was a doctor… an optometrist." Rogue said with a hitch. "He spent my whole life trying to… fix… my eyes… never asking me if I wanted them to be fixed… they… helped… with the war, being able to see far away, I was a good sniper… the best… so commander Steel Hooves said." Rogue swallowed and shook her head. "We used to fight… all the time…"

 _"_ _They're my eyes dad!" "I don't want you getting hurt with this war! Besides! They'll never heal if you strain them!"_

"It never stopped… we fought again… before I left that day… the last words I said to him…"

 _"_ _you're a coward and weakling and I hate you!"_

"They weren't kind ones…" Rogue finished with a weak voice. Doc placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"I never had the joy of a family… while you might have fought with your father I'm sure there were times you remember that were good." Rogue stared at him as he flew onward.

 _"L_ _ook at me daddy!" "oh no! My little Rogue has been captured by aliens! I suppose I'll have to TICKLE TORTURE THEM FOR ANSWERS!" "No! Ha ha he he! Daddy! Stop it! It's me!" "There's my little Rogue…"_

Rogue felt a tear slid down her check and wiped it away, but she was smiling a little.

 _"_ _I love you Rogue." "I love you too daddy."_

* * *

"There it is, home sweet bloody home." Rogue said as the crested over a hill over looking the wreckage of Canterlot as well as the zebra town Rogue had tried to slaughter all those years ago, aptly called by the locals today, pink water ridge. The pair could see that, just as Doc had suspected, the pink cloud was mostly gone. "No dragon bones… I told you so." Rogue said before she divested her packs and armor. After unraveling her scarf and pulling her metal helmet brace off she looked at the Doc, who was staring at her in confusion.

"Urm… are you going for a swim?" he asked. Rogue shook her head.

"The pink cloud fuses clothing to your skin, as well as anything else you might be holding, unicorns have the easiest time in these places… also, keep an eye out for old technology, those corrupted frequencies become death traps really quickly. Don't fall asleep, you won't wake up." With that Doc began removing his glasses and lab coat. afterwards he sighed.

"Rogue I have an unfortunate piece of news I should have shared, I would have had I known," he turned to the mare and squinted. "I'm afraid I can barely make you out." Rogue stared at him

"You're blind?!"

"Severely near sighted… I can just see my hoof in front of my face… I can of course make out shapes but…"

"Fuck." Rogue huffed.

"Exactly." Doc said with a sigh. He took a tentative step forward. "For science." he mumbled before he began to carefully make his way into the crumbled city. As they approached Rogue could see the crumbled remains of the gate house…

 _Foals lau_ _ghing. Circuit and Sleazy running. Laughing. "Come on Rogue!" the pair disappear through the gate._

Rogue took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I hate ghosts." She mumbled. Doc almost ran into a wall and Rogue pulled him away, holding his shoulder. "You're a loose cannon doc."

"Just find a puddle with a significant amount of pink radiation, I should be able to siphon it." And find a puddle they did. As Doc crouched down to begin his work Rogue watched the area. Suddenly more ghost arose.

 _The streets bustling. Suddenly shouting. "Get back here you thugs!" Teens. Sleazy Slick, Rogue Ranger, and Circuit Board running from a cop. Rogue stops around a corner. The cop runs past. She goes back around the corner and fires a slingshot, hitting the cop smack dab in the middle of the head, only to be covered by a shadow. "That's a mighty fine eye ya got there, sugarcube."_

"Rogue!" the mare snapped out of her stupor to see that Doc was being sniffed at by two pink ghouls. She ran at them with intent of ripping their heads off with her bare hooves when a shotgun was fired, followed by the sound of a long low whistle.

"Lulu! Tia! Down!" called an adolescent male voice. As the ghouls turned away and Rogue could see that they didn't have bottom jaws. They appeared quite docile, almost like pets. Suddenly a shadow fell over her, just like that time all those years ago. She looked up and for second, she could see that mare again, looking down at her with a smirk, before the image blurred and the real pony stood before her. A young unicorn stallion. He had a steel grey coat and black and blue spiky hair. His eyes were blue too, but almost teal, like the ocean. Rogue glared at him in warning as the ghouls shuffled over to his side.

* * *

A/N: Alright I admit it,

This new guy may be a TEENSY TINY, EVER SO SLIGHTLY, BIT based off of michone from the walking dead.

I couldn't help it.

Ghouls are a major part of the story.

They're kinda like zombies...

PET GHOULS!

Anyways I'm sure people are wondering what the hell is with Rogue's emotions bouncing back and forth between loving her dad and not loving him.

I wan't to stress something.

Earlier I wrote that she had a great childhood.

And she did. when Rogue was young her parents loved her very dearly and cared for her much.

But like all parents, as Rogue grew her parents started having expectations for her, and those expectations that our families give us sometimes are hard to live up to. Rogue's father was very controlling, he believed that he knew what was best for Rogue, like all parents. And like all young adults Rogue rebelled against this. Rogue was a young adult when she died, about 21 years old. So she was carrying all that baggage around for two hundred years. She forgot one fundamental law about parents.

While it might seem that they're out to get you, parents do the things they do because they love you and they want you to be safe.

As for the issues with Rogue's mother, they're touched on more in part 3 so I'll stick to this last part.

Rogue is free to feel anyway she wants about her parents, and it is true that her father is slightly at fault as we'll see in part three, so before you start calling me out on contradictions light Phoenix Wright, remember this-

Rogue is a two hundred year old teenager, you can complain all you want, she'll just bitch and complain right back. :p


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N: a gift for my dear Friend Books,

Enjoy :D

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Rogue asked with a glare.

"I could ask the same thing." The cocky teen said as he sauntered up.

"Maybe after we leave…" Rogue said as she turned her head. She could hear the ghouls moaning and groaning in the depths of the ruins. "If we don't we'll have company."

"Fine, we'll leave," he whistled again and the two jaw less ghouls followed. That made Rogue shudder a bit. As they returned to their gear she looked back at the teen and his ghouls. He was wearing a long black leather jacket and gold jewelry. He looked like some cheesy super spy from pre war movies. She expected the colt to pull black glasses out of the jacket pocket. Luckily he didn't, just reloaded his sawed off shot gun and levitated a rifle.

"So what are a couple of amateur explorers like yourself doing out here in the real world?" the teen asked with smirk. Rogue open her mouth with a face that clearly read 'what did you just say to me?' before she turned as fast as lightning and popped one between the cocky son of a bitch's eyes. He fell down with a yelp and cowered as she held her hoof over his throat.

"Give me a reason…" the boy whimpered and Doc held his breath. After a moment she sneered "to kill you." She finished before she lifted her hoof. "Go home kid, the wastelands no place for a foal." She began walking away. The Doc looked back at the colt and shrugged apologetic before he turned ot follow the ghoul.

"Wait!" the teen cried as he ran after the pair, his ghouls trailing behind him "Wait!"

"Are you deaf kid!" Rogue shouted turning back to the unicorn. "Go home!"

"I don't have one!" the kid replied angrily. That made Rogue pause.

"Rogue, may I speak to you, in private?" Doc asked before he led her away a bit. "You took me in in my time of need, let us do the same for this young colt… he is all alone after all."

"You saw him with those ghouls, they're like his grotesque pets, he's not alone, I'm sure there great company." Rogue growled. Doc shook his head.

"Dead ponies give no company, besides he can't take care of himself, he needs a guiding adult."

"Exactly why I don't want to deal with him! You can fly away from danger, he's a loose cannon."

"Rogue… I'm sure you felt like a lost little filly when Canterlot fell…" Doc whispered. Rogue gaped at him before she growled and walked a ways away.

"That was low Doc." She growled. The Doc nodded in the young stallions direction. She sighed and walked up to the pony.

"What's your name?" the colts face broke out into a grin.

"Oh goddesses thank you! You won't regret it I swear," when he saw the look Rogue was giving him he cleared his throat. "My name is Ghoul Trapper." Rogue snorted.

"Talk about names defining destiny." She said before she turned back to the flyer of the group. "Kay Doc, where are we off to?"

"Back to the lab, I'm going to study this." He said lifting the pink sample to the light. Ghoul whistled again.

"Lulu! Tia! Come!" the two shuffled forwards. Rogue frowned, then rolled her eyes and chuckled sardonically.

"Lulu and Tia. Luna and Celestia." The ghoul said with a nod. The colt blushed.

"My own personally guardian goddesses." Rogue snorted again then shook her head and turned her gun to them.

"Whoa whoa whoa! What are you doing!" he asked in panic.

"Look kid, I have a rule! Non feral group members only! If your coming with us they gotta go." She didn't leave time for the boy to respond and fired two shots, one for each ghoul. The young stallion stared at there corpses forlornly before he followed the pair.

"Do you know how long it took me to catch those? I hunted them for a whole week!"

"Too bad." Rogue growled out. The trio made there way back to the abandoned cottage where Doc rushed to the lab room and closed the door. Ghoul settled down on the couch and turned to Rogue.

"So, why're you so grouchy?"

"Look, don't… just… just don't." she said as she popped open a rad cola and took a drink.

"Fine, jeez just trying to get to know you."

"Yeah well I'm not in the mood." Rogue growled before she took another drink. Ghoul huffed and poped open his own drink, a sparkle cola, and lay down on his back.

"Fine, lets try this… you were complaining about destiny defining names, does that mean you have one?" Rogue sighed heavily and supposed that she might as well talk to him, if only to shut him up.

"Yeah… my mother named me Rogue Ranger." Ghoul jumped upright.

"Wait! As in Steel ranger?" Rogue gumbled

"very same… and I did."

"You went rogue?" Ghoul asked in wonder. Rogue nodded with a heavy heart.

"I broke the code…" she paused "well, part of it." she recalled that meeting so well, when steelhooves stood in front of her and she recited the words she as so proud to say, so sure she would live by. "We shall defend the undefended and hurt not the civilians who do not hurt us."

"how'd you break it?"

"I killed a zebra family. A mother, father, two twin colts and a filly…" Rogue paused and shook her head "she didn't even have her glyph mark yet." Ghoul was staring at her in horror.

"Why'd you do it?"

"It was a mistake… I shouldn't have volunteered for duty… I was angry… when I get angry… I lose control." Rogue put a hoof to her face and sighed. "I've done some pretty terrible things in my life but I know when to pull the trigger, and when to turn my blind eyes…" the two were quiet for a while until Ghoul got his courage back.

"So what happened after that?" Rogue swallowed and leaned against the wall.

"They took my title; they almost took my gun too, but the commander in chief thought it would be useless to everypony else anyway and let me keep it… I ended up having to go back to his sorry dead body in mannehatten to get more ammo… that had been an experience, anyways they were supposed to black list me and stop all contact but my commander and training supervisor… he didn't like to follow rules." Rogue said with a smirk. "he kept in touch, at least until the grid fell and everything went to shit. He's dead now… coming unto a year since he was killed."

"Wait… until the grid died… you're a ghoul?" the colt asked in confusion. Rogue smirked. Finally the little squirt catches up.

"Not just any kind of ghoul kid, a pink cloud ghoul. The commanding general of the sniper unit. First division, under commander Applesnack Steelhooves… he was seconds in command… meaning I helped control the entire MOWT army." Ghoul trapper was gaping at the mare who stood and smirked. "How do you like me now kid?" any response the flabbergast kid might have had was cut off from an explosion from the bathroom. Both ponies surged to the feet and saw pink smoke wafting under the door.

"Pink cloud!" the cried in unison and threw open the door. Inside Doc was coughing and waving his hooves about.

"That was a far more powerful reaction then I anticipated." He said before he coughed out a cloud of pink vapor.

"you alright Doc?" rogue asked. The pegasus nodded with a grin making the ponies relax fractionally.

"It's quite alright, the astatine reacted with the citrus flavorant more strongly then I predicted." The two others looked at each other then back to Doc.

"Does he have an English mode?" Ghoul asked.

"It's hard to kick in," Rogue grumbled "what are you talking about Doc?"

" Come see what I made!" Doc cried as he picked up a bottle of rad x and a strangely colored bag of rad away. "Tada!" he said showing them the rad away first.

"It's pink." Ghoul said as he held the bad to the light. Doc nodded with a smile.

"And twice as effective as regular rad away!" he said excitedly. The two ponies stared at him.

"What?" Rogue asked in shock. Doc just grinned.

"Do you know that rad away and rad x are made of roughly the same fourmula, simply kept in a different state? If you took away the citrus flavorants that make rad away taste like oranges and the common rue colorant that was used on cheese, then dehydrated it, you would get a white chalky powder…"

"That can be formed into tablets." Rogue said with raised eyebrows.

"Actually it has to be first mixed with a drug called ether with is commonly found in." he lifted up a tin can and shook it for emphasis.

"Mentats." Ghoul said in shock. Doc nodded and continued.

"Mentats." The Doc repeated with a nod.

"But what is rad away made of?" Rogue asked.

"Carbon and fluoride." He said. Rogue snorted.

"The same stuff that made the pink cloud."

"Wait you figured out what the pink cloud was made of?" Ghoul asked in shock.

"Yes yes, I'll tell you later let me tell you the process! So I took the pink cloud water and boiled a portion of it to collect the vaporous gas. I mixed that with some rad away. That is what caused the explosion. I created these," he said lifting the bottle of rad-X with a shake "using dehydration. I dehydrated the rad away and pink cloud water then crushed mentats and mixed them with some non-irradiated water. After the resulting paste was evenly mixed I dehydrated it again and molded them into tablets and voila, Rad-X +"

"Rad-X +?" Ghoul asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I thought it fitting! This rad-X+ like the rad away+ is twice as strong as regular rad-X tablets. It last longer, creates a stronger resistance and, in my humble opinion, taste better." Rogue looked in the bottle noting the pink shade, just like the 'rad away+' "You do know of course what I intend to do with this." Rogue paused in her inspection and looked at him. Then she smiled with a snort and shook her head.

"Friendship city." She said tossing the bottle to the pegasus.

"The balefire explosion was my fault… I want to help them." Rogue sighed and let her shoulders droop with a shake of her head.

"I guess going to friendship city."

"Do we have to?" Ghoul finally piped up. The other two ponies looked at each other then him.

"Why ever not?" Doc asked. Ghoul looked at the ground then shook his head

"No reason." He replied. "Let's go to friendship city."

* * *

As the began to approach the looming toxic cloud Doc handed ghoul trapper some rad-X+ tablets. As the colt crunched them he paused.

"They taste like carrots." He said with a shocked filled voice. The Doc blushed.

"Yes well… I could help adding a bit of carrot flavourant, from sparkle cola." The trio chuckled as they walked. It took them two days to walk across the wasteland. The ash filled rain was extremely radioactive so Rogue had to stay far away from the other two ponies. It was so strong that she started glowing a pale greenish. Doc's rad away+ and Rad-x+ turned out to be a success. Both living ponies suffered no adverse affects from the radiation. Thought the were dangerously close to dehydration when they finally got to friendship city. Rogue took a packet of rad away+ from doc.

"But it could kill you!" he cried even as Rogue drank it all down. Slowly the glow receded. She looked at him and smirked.

"I'm not that easy to kill Doc." The pony shook his head and together the trio made there way to friendship city. The ponies were not keen on allowing the same pony who dropped the balefire bomb to enter the city but after he healed the guards of there radiation sickness they were much more keen. Rogue walked with Ghoul as they walked through the city looking for food and water. Rogue could hear the locals whispers of disdain as they walked by.

"Oh goddesses, he's back."

"Don't make eye contact."

"Ugh, he's such a loser." Rogue didn't say anything but she knew that Ghoul knew she could hear them. After Ghoul ate at a diner, which they sat at together silently, They went up to the observation deck where the spoke with the mayor of friendship city. The new mayor was very thankful at them for bringing Doc and welcomed them back anytime.

"And Fishy Stick… do try not to mess anything else up while you're here… have a good day." The mayor finished before the guards saw them out.

"Fishy Stick?" Rogue asked with a raised eyebrow. The colt sighed heavily.

"I'm a fry cook at the local diner… no one cooks mirelurk crabs quite like me." Fishy grumbled. "but it doesn't matter," he growled angrily. "I'm not staying." Rogue looked at him then nodded.

"Ya, you were right." The young stallion looked at her in confusion. "This isn't a home." She finished. The colt smiled and together the pair walked back out f the city.

"Rogue! wait!" Doc cried from within the city. Fishy kept walking, knowing this was a private thing. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the wastes… it's where I belong." She looked down at the Doc then looked at his flank. She smiled wide. "Hey, you got your cutie mark."

"A bottle of rad-X+ and a packet of Rad away+. Destiny is fical." Doc said with a faint smile. He took a deep breath and his smile fell. He nodded and smiled again. "I've chosen a name you know... I thought it fitting." Rogue blinked.

"What is it?" she asked. Doc smiled.

"Doctor Radish." He whispered. Rogue gaped at him with tears in her eyes. The pegasus swallowed. "After a dear dear friend." He chocked out. They both reached out and held each other's hooves in a firm shake. "I will never forget you, my dear friend." Rouge nodded before she embrace the stallion in a hug. There were tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I fucking hate radishes." She sobbed with a weak laugh. The stallion laughed too. And slowly Rogue withdrew and with a watery smile she closed her eyes and turned away. As she walked further away from the city she saw Fishy Stick standing, over looking the wastes. She walked up to him. He turned and nodded. "It's probably best I not hang around you, I'm pretty lethal once I'm under the cloud."

"Yeah." Fishy replied. As he began to walk away Rogue shook her head.

"Hey Fishy Stick!" the young stallion turned back. "promise me that the next companions you have can talk!" the colt snorted.

"I'll give you one better! I Pinkie swear!" Rogue's mouth dropped open even as he did the actions "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

"Where did you learn that?!" she asked in shock. The stallion looked at friendship city.

"It's tradition in my not home." He said before he turned and walked away. Rogue stood there in shock long after the stallion had disappeared in the wind. After a while she laughed.

"Ah Pinkie… you haunt me still." With a gesture she thought was fitting she slid her big gun on and set up her music and in rang around her as she disapered into the wates as well.

 _"M_ _y name is Pinkie Pie! Hello! And I am here to say! Howdy! I'm gonna make you smile and I will brighten up your day!"_

* * *

A/N: A little nod to one of the best video game companies ever and the partner in this crossover. So everyone sit back…

And have a fishy stick ;)

 **Face hoof**

no not the pony! The food item! a fish stick! Geez what are you, bronies?

Oh wait :#|

JK ;p have all the Fishy Stick's you want! Pony and food item.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A/N: taking in Zecora's house for anthropological hints I am placing her as a plains zebra, commonly found in eastern and Southern Africa. The language spoken by the zebra in this and following chapters is Swahili, which is the first language of Kenya which is known for its fields and forests. I tried to be very accurate with this beautiful and diverse language, I hope not to offend anyone. Translations will be provided at the end.

* * *

A shot rang across the wastes.

"Kiboko! Kwa nini wewe risasi kwamba pundamilia!" Confetti asked her zebra husband in horror.

"He was sneaking up on me dear, are you alright sir? I'm so sorry." The old prone figure rose with a smile.

"No no my fine kaka waliopotea. I was rather suspisous, especially for a kulinda baba."

" I ni pole sana. We have food we are wiling to share! Nyikani! Some food for this mzee."

"And Take care of your dada kidogo!" the unicorn mare called as well. She turned back to the zebra. "you are welcome at our fire Mzee." The zebra smiled wider as the couple led him to their fire.

"My mwana… who is this beautiful mare at your side?" the zebra smiled and held with wifes hoof.

"This is confetti, my mpendwa." The two shared a loving look and did not notice that as the zebra looked on his smile turning into a sad look.

"I am so sorry my kaka waliopotea." With that the two were shot with a hidden tranquilizer gun. The zebra stood with a sudden strength as the zebra child returned. He too was shot and as the cloaked zebra approached the crying zebroid he sighed. He fired a shot and the childs screams ended. He turned back to the family that were starting to wake, though they would be paralyzed for at least three hours. The father starred in horror as the zebra approached with milky eyes and blood dripping from his face.

 _"W_ _ewe utakuwa huru"_

* * *

Rogue jumped with a start. Whiskey put his work down and ran to her.

"What is it lass?" he asked. Rogue shook her head.

"Roho…" she mumbled quietly. When the bartender rose an eyebrow she sighed. "it's a zebra word for ghosts… Somepony galloped over my grave. I just… I had a feeling you know, like something happened." With that she downed her drink. After she wiped her mouth she pulled out her gun. "meh, I'm going out again, see ya Whiskey!" with that Rogue left the hunter's nook for the wastes again. As she did she hunted any ghouls she could find. The ghouls were becoming scarce and so a lot of the hunter's had joined mercenary groups or gone back to raiding. Of course Rogue was even more happy to hear that someponies had settled down started living normal lives. Even Whiskey felt the spirit. He'd stopped charging over priced liquor to travelers. His sons were even working on extending the walls. Whiskey had some plans to turn hunter's nook into a village, start a town, maybe settle down and let his sons have a family and run his business.

"I'm not getting any younger Rogue, and neither are you, ya should be settling down, even if ya can't have kids, you could be a guard, I'd hire ya!" but Rogue declined. The wasteland was where she belonged… her only true home was long gone… all that was left was some rotten trees and a rotted house. Rogue sighed and took in a deep breath through the nose… and took in the scent of burnt flesh. Rogue frowned and ran in that direction. What she saw made her freeze in horror. A family of charred ponies, tied together back to back. The smoke was rising slowly in a perverse imitation of flight. Rogue walked forward and stepped in half dried blood. She turned to the side and saw it had seeped from a closed basket. She opened it and took in the slaughtered remains of a zebriod filly. With horror she ran to the edge of the small circle that the camp logs and tents made and scanned the horizon. Se took a few breaths before her training kicked in. she took out her gun and, with a second of hesitation, took out the scope and barrel. No pony could guess that all this time, her fancy hoof trigger hunting rifle, doubled as a sniper rifle. She lay down on the dirty ground and set her broken eyes to the scope. She saw him. the one she feared. He was cloaked but she knew that body anywhere.

"You sorry son of a bitch! How many times do I have to kill you?" she growled angrily. With a few breaths she redied herself. Her hoofs were shaking and her eyes were still weak even with the scope. She put it on maximum zoom put that made the shaking worse. She took another breath. She took one last deep breath and held it. For a few seconds she did nothing then fired. The zebra swept to the side and dunked. The bullet wizzed above him and hit the dirt with a pfft and the zebra galloped away. Rogue realeased the breath in audibly in horror. She he got up and stepped away from her gun she turned back to the family. That's when she was the pice of paper held to the smallest corpses chest with a zebra combat knife.

Sniper Captain _Rogue Ranger,_

 _200 years it's been since I met you first. 100 years it's been_

 _Since you scarred my back. 50 years it's been since you blinded me._

 _Once I called you hodari, now you must be uchovu. I am not._

 _My nguvu is everlasting! I will not rest until all my kaka are free_

 _From you mabaya muuaji farasi!_

 _MADA MREFU KUISHI HIMAYA!_

 _HADI MWISHO WA VITA SISI MAANDAMANO!_

The name at the bottom of the letter confirmed Rogue's worst fears and she galloped off back to the hunter's nook in fear, for the name on the bottom of that gruesome letter was a name Rogue would hear in nightmares, one that haunted her like a disease, one she was sure she was free from.

Anexina

* * *

"Where's Strike! I need Strike!" Rogue cried as she galloped into Whiskey's bar.

"Calm down lass! What's wroing?" Rogue still dashed around in a panic. As she turned to Whiskey he could see the pure terror in her eyes.

"I need a ride to Manehatten, right now!" she said in panic. The griffon didn't really understand, but he strapped up to his wagon anyway and they were off.

"Erp… I'm gonna be sick." Rogue groaned as Strike whipped across the wasteland.

"Still got flight sickness huh?" Strike shouted back. Rogue didn't responsed as she was heaving over the edge of the cart. Soon they were flying over Manehatten and Rogue's radio kicked on.

"ROGUE! Have you seen the burning bodies everywhere?!" Littlepip asked in fear. Rogue didn't respond, just directed Strike to land on the roof of Tenpony tower. As she climbed out, steadying, she turned to Strike.

"You know the drill… the ghouls are baying at the moon." That made Strike's eyes widen and he zipped off in a flash. Rogue stepped into the apartments of Twilight.

"What the hell is going on?!" Homage asked as Rogue raced through her house.

"Where's Pom-3?"

"Downstairs, he's shopping, do you know about the bodies in the wasteland?"

"I need to use the emergency broadcast system." Rogue said. Homage huffed and lead the mare to the radio room. She pushed a few buttons.

"When your ready, I'll put you on air…" she flipped through a bunch of mix tapes and pulled one out. She shoved it in the slot. She pointed her hoof at Rogue who nodded. Homage flipped a switch and the on air button glowed red. With another button Pom-3's recorded voice rang around.

"We interrupt your regular broadcast with some news." Homage nodded and Rogue began to talk.

"This is a message for all steel rangers, repeat all steel rangers. Code alpha alpha 9 9 stripes. Repeat, operation stripes!"

* * *

All around Equestria the steel ranger's were mobilizing. Guns were being loaded, marching lines set up. This was war.

* * *

"This is a class Omega Luna threat. Repeat class omega luna threat. Monitor all routes. Defend all cities." Rogue paused then spoke again. "I now speak directly to you Anexina… I missed then… I won't now. Hide while you still can and run all you like…" Rogue's eyes hardened. "I'll find you." With that she stopped and with the flick of a switch Homage turned the radio off.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked. Rogue stood.

"The zebra that is burning those bodies is named Anexina, he's a mad buck with a delusional idea that ponies can control zebra's minds and hold them against their will. He thinks we ponies have brainwashed them all and that the wasteland is an illusion to drive them insane. I thought he was dead already, fifty years ago we had an altercation in the ruins of Trottingham... I was certain he was dead, but I must have missed..." Homage stared at her.

"Whoa… that is a whole new level of nutcase."

"Tell me about it. Hey Littlepip!" Rogue cried. The sprite bot floated before her.

"What's up?"

"I need a radio link to vault 2, and anywhere else there are steel rangers, I'm sure you can find them." After a few seconds of radio silence Littlepip floated off and hooked up to the radio comlink. Finally the silence and crackling broke through and the trio were treated to the middle of a heated conversation.

"Miscreants and traitors! The lot of you!"

"And you're so much better!"

"And we shall defend the undefended! You seem to have forgotten that Crusader Pineapple Turnover!"

"Oh yes! Let's throw rank into each other's faces! _Paladin_ Oak tree and _Star Paladin_ Clockwork!"

"SHUT UP!" Littlepip cried.

"Thanks Littlepip." Rogue said loud and clearly.

"Oh goddesses it's you." The younger male sounding voice cried.

"Rogue?" Oak Tree asked in shock.

"You know this mare paladin Oak Tree?" the older voice asked the mare. There was silence, she probably had nodded then, upon realizing her mistake cleared her throat.

"Yes, she crashed outside of vault 2 with a griffin and a bat pony."

"Figures." The male voice growled.

"You know her then crusader Pineapple turnover?"

"I know of her sir… Senior paladin Rogue Ranger." The connection fizzled before Littlepip cried out in shock.

"SENIOR PALADIN!?" Rogue groaned.

"You can't be called that of course." Pineapple Turnover continued when the connection was back

"No, I can't, can I…" Rogue ground out through her teeth.

"Star paladin Clockwork! I demand she be submitted to an inquiry!" Pineapple cried out. The other three privy to the conversation gasped.

"Why ever crusader?" Clockwork asked

"For the murder of an innocent family including three children." With that the connection killed out. Littlepip was too shocked to hold off the power surge and the radio comlink fried. Rogue sat and put her face in her hooves and groaned. Littlepip flew in with another sprite bot.

"What." She flew closer. "The." She set up her power zapper "Fuck." Rogue let her head fall down to the table with a thump and a groan.

* * *

A/N: Gasp!

She's a senior paladin!? Whaaaatttttttt!

He he he… **evil smirk** I really like torturing her…. So much fun.

so, traslations:

Kiboko! Kwa nini wewe risasi kwamba pundamilia!: water horse(hippopotamus)! why did you shoot that zebra!

kaka waliopotea: brother lost

kulinda baba: protecting father

I ni pole sana: i am very sorry

Nyikani: Wilderness

mzee: elder

dada kidogo: little sister

mwana: son

mpendwa: beloved

kaka waliopotea: brother lost

 _wewe utakuwa huru: you will be free_

 _hodari: versatile_

 _uchovu: tried_

 _nguvu: might._

 _kaka: brother_

 _mabaya muuaji farasi: evil killer horses_

 _MADA MREFU KUISHI HIMAYA: long live the empire!_

 _HADI MWISHO WA VITA SISI MAANDAMANO: until the end of the war we protest!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N: This has been the most entertaining chapter to write to date. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

-Authora

* * *

At noon the next day two steel rangers came to 'collect' Rogue for her inquiry.

"I can't believe this is really happening… I mean come on! This happened two hundred and sixteen years ago!"

"You're counting? What? Guilty conscience?" one steel ranger asked. Rogue sighed and was silent. It took the rest of the day to get to the vault. When they arrived Rogue could see that tents were set up in the trees and the vault door was opened. Rangers were walking in and out and the place looked just as impressive as the Canterlot offices she remembered so well. The moon was beginning to rise when Commander Clockwork stepped forward.

"Let's get this over with." He grumbled before two armed unicorn ranger's joined the other steel rangers and Rogue was marched through the halls of the vault. As she was pushed into the overmare's office and the door was closed Clockwork took off his helmet. He was a moderately aged earth pony with a golden coat and a black and silver mane. He pushed a button on a recording device and the interrogation began.

"I am star paladin Clockwork, over seeing the inquiry of former Senior Paladin Rogue Ranger." He took a deep breath and sat on the over mare's chair. "You are Rogue Ranger?"

"Yes sir."

"Daughter of the famed Optometrist Four Eyes and fortune teller Inner Eye."

"Yes sir."

"Born in Canterlot, the 987 year of the age of the sun?"

"Yes sir." He pulled out a file.

"You have a criminal record… 2 accounts of theft, 2 accounts of vandalism, 3 accounts of destruction of public property and 1 account," the Star Paladin lifted the file, appearing to be squinting, even though Rogue knew he could read it perfectly fine "of assaulting a police officer." He threw the file down. "Is that correct?"

"That last charge was dropped." Rogue said with a waver in her voice. The Star Paladin sat back in the chair picking up the file again.

"You were an initiate the year the war started correct?"

"That's correct sir."

"You were two years too young correct?"

"Yes sir."

"And you gave a formal apology to the princesses and ministry mare Applejack?"

"Yes sir, and I was sorry." The Star Paladin laughed.

"You were a teenager ms. Ranger! You weren't sorry for what you did! You were sorry you got caught!" Rogue didn't say anything. So the stallion shook his head. "You re-applied two years later?"

"Yes sir."

"And were accepted?"

"Yes sir."

"That was the same time that sniper division was created." The Star Paladin leaned forward. "Care to explain how that happened?" Rogue sighed.

"I was first trained to be a regular soldier, but Twilight came to Applejack with this new idea, hoof triggers. Theoretically easier to use, less sensitive and allowing for speech while they were used. There was a downside that Twilight hadn't planned for."

"What was that?"

"Accuracy. The scope was set up that it would be easier to see where you were firing if the gun was in your mouth. One could compensate by holding the gun with both hooves but you would need insane balance to do that standing up. She was going to scrape the idea…"

"Until you and Steelhooves came up with the idea of a separate long range division that you would lead." Clockwork said leaning back. "Yours is the quickest rise through the ranks that I've ever seen ms. Rogue. from initiate to senior paladin in the space of five days… some cry favoritism ms. Rogue."

"You mean Pineapple Turnover." Rogue said with a sarcastic drawl. The old pony chuckeled.

"Not much gets passed you does it. Anyways. We have a photo here..." He threw it across the desk to Rogue and her heart jumped into her throat. She remembered that night so well.

 _Music, slow and romantic, was playing in the background as regal mares and handsome stallions dance in locked gazes. "I hate these damn monkey suits." "Just grin an bare it, Rarity worked all day on these here fancy get ups, this is her night, we ought dress the parts." "You can't enjoy this Rogue." "Naw, but like Applejack says, grin and bare it."_

Applejack and Applesnack sat side by side while Rogue sat next to Applejack. Her hair had been longer then and was captured in a low bun while Applejack had a long brain cascading over her shoulder along with her sleek red dress. Applesnack looked like a proper earth pony with his tux complete with a red apple blossom. Her own dress, forest green to accent her eyes, was a shadow compared to Applejack's. Rogue sighed.

"Yes, Applejack was very close to me, and I was very close to her… she was a sister I never got to have." The Star Paladin frowned.

"What about this photo?" this was even more painful. It was before Applejack got so serious, before it all went down hill. Rogue was in the center next to Applebloom and Applejack. Steelhooves and a very young Big Macintosh stood behind them and the other apples surrounded them. The last apple family reunion. Rogue swallowed thickly and turned to the Star Paladin with an angry, watery, glare.

"I don't think you realize what it was like sir. My father was a highly respected unicorn in a place where magic and status were important. I was his disappointment, his mistake, an earth pony in a unicorn city. Do you know how many times my father abandoned me when those charges you listed came up? He did it over and over and OVER!" she was huffing in anger by the end of her rant. "In the end he cared more about his next patient then he did his own daughter! And then I met the apples…" the tears came back. "they were everything I wanted in a family. Strong, and hard working, and loyal and…" a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I missed them, for years… I missed Applejack, and Applebloom, I cried for the first time in years at Big Mac's funeral… in the end, my father didn't love me, my mother… well she wasn't around enough for me to know but I think she might have still loved me… it doesn't matter, neither of them had qualms when I singed my paperwork Rogue Ranger-Apple… it was going to be legal you know… but I saw my self as one of them, they were my family sir, not Inner eye and most definitely not Four Eyes." Star Paladin Clockwork stared at her before he dropped his final photo in front of her. It was the crime scene, where she had killed those zebra. She stared at the gruesome mess before she pushed it away.

"On June 27th in the fifth year of the era of the two sisters, a final assault was held in the frozen north, when a family was caught in the cross fire. The fire was stalled but the family was taken down by Senior paladin Rogue Ranger, she was stripped of her title and armor before all contact was cut off, she is presumed dead, taken by the wastes." Clockwork leaned back. "That was the report by an elder Sweets, written by Scribe Royal Pin. Is it correct?"

"Yes sir." Rogue whispered.

"Why?" Clockwork finished before he threw the file on the desk. Rogue took a few seconds to collect herself before she spoke.

"I should never have been on the field." She looked up to the stallion. "I had just lost my home, my family, I was angry." She looked at the gruesome photo again. "When I saw that zebra coming towards me, all I saw was the stripes, I didn't see the faces…" Rogue took a deep shuddering breath. "This wasteland changes you sir it's true but I know when to shoot…" she looked down at the photo and turned it over "and when to never let this happen again." The Star Paladin looked at her before he shook his head an chuckled and turned off the recorder. Rogue looked at him in confusion.

"Let me tell you a secret Ranger, I had already decided you were innocent. I even tracked down your power armor, believe me, that was an experience. But I knew if a mare like this," he pushed forward the two happy pictures, "could do this," He tapped the photo that was turned face down "there had to be a very good reason." He leaned forwards. "I think mourning is a good enough reason." He whispered before he stood and moved to the door. Rogue turned back to him in confusion.

"But then why bother with a trial?" Clockwork groaned.

"To please that sorry son of a bitch Pineapple Turnover. Honestly, he's more a child then anything." With that he stepped out of the door then he came back in. "Whoops, your file." He scooped it and the gruesome photo up. Then he pushed the other two photos to Rogue.

"They're yours now." Rogue held them with a slightly shaking hoof and Clockwork left her alone. She slowly walked out of the door where Oak Tree was waiting.

"You did it! Great! Here!" she handed the mare a box. Rogue opened it and looked at the content. It was awards and letters and a diary and some old heirlooms. but the one thing that really made Rogue gasp was lodge between the side of the box and a photo album. It was a cow pony hat, battered from years, but unmistakable. Rogue bit her lip as her eyes overflowed with tears. She threw herself at Oak tree who stood there in confusion as Rogue sobbed on her shoulder. After a while she stood firm.

"Sorry, bit emotional, just got reminded of a lot that happened, it's a bit fresh." She held the hat in her hooves reverently. "Where'd you find this stuff?"

"Under a steel floor plate, she must have been keeping it for safe keeping. It was in a steel box with the initials A.J. on it. I'll admit, at first I thought it was secret orders, but it turned out to be personal effects… in some ways, that's even more precious." Rogue nodded.

"Oh Ranger! Thanks goddesses I'd thought you'd gone far. I forgot to tell you, in order to take your rank and armor back, you have to sign the oath and pass your physicals again." Clockwork said as he trotted up. Rogue nodded before she turned back to oak.

"So, where's your gym?" Oak smiled and nodded before she led the mare away.

* * *

For two days she trained coming up to the day of her physical training. The other rangers and refugees in the vault would gawk as she did rep after rep after rep of more weight then they'd ever seen another pony lift. That and she always drank that irradiated cola without any adverse effects.

"So they haven't figured it out yet?" Rogue asked one day when Oak joined her.

"Naw, they're pretty ignorant about the world. I had one foal ask me what the big new room was called." That made the pair of them laugh. Finally the day came. Rogue passed all of her physical test, though Pineapple Turnover complained that being a ghoul gave her an unfair advantage, and was directed to the atrium where all present could observe her ceremony. She stood in front of them and Star Paladin Clockwork began.

"Today you shall all witness the most sacred of ceremonies. Rogue Ranger-Apple of Canterlot," he winked at her and she smiled mutely. "raise your right hoof." She did so. "Recite the oath." Rogue cleared her throat.

"I, Rogue Ranger-Apple, do solemnly swear to defend Equestria and her people with my life. I shall be a force of good will toward all for inside my shell of steel, shall be a heart of gold. I will defend the undefended, and not hurt those civilians who would not hurt me. I will protect the unprotected, for no city shall fall unless I have fallen. I will guide the unguided; together with my brethren we will be strong. So for Equestria, I do cross my heart and, in the name of the sun, the moon, and their fair people, hope to fly, for the will of all ponykind, I do, solemnly, swear."

"And so we dub thy, Senior Paladin Rogue Ranger-Apple." The applause brought Rogue back. Back to when such a cry was followed with hard pats of the back and a cowpony whoop as a large cowpony hat was placed on her head. Rogue went back to her designated room and held up that very same hat and smiled.

"Thank you Applejack… thank you so much…" Rogue whispered. A knock on the door startled her.

"Senior Paladin mame, Star Paladin Clockwork is looking for you."

"Thank you initiate." Rogue said before she put the hat down. She went to the old stallion. "You called for me sir?"

"Indeed," the stallion said gruffly "To show you this." With that he nodded and the two steel rangers beside the door in front of him opened it and sitting there as it had for likely years was something Rogue was sure she'd never see again.

Her power armor.

* * *

A:N/ oops…

Did I forget to mention she had power armor training.

 **bell rings**

~SUBTLE~

thank you Silverquill **SPONSER** you harmonious hippogryph you.

Heh heh.

Betcha didn't see that coming. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

okay... it's official...

Equestrian weather is fucked up...

I mean... tanks for memories was ten episodes ago and it's already winter again... wtf?

on another note it actually works for this and the next chapter, which are both somewhat hearts warming eve themed... I must be psychic or something...

Sorry, rambling

ONWARDS!

* * *

"Ponies are reminded that any and all zebra contact is prohibited until the threat is removed. Zebra are instructed to bar entry of any ponies. This is another message from DJ Pom-3, wishing you a safe holiday season."

* * *

Everywhere around the wasteland was in lock down. The fear of Anexina was so great that even the mural of Zenith in New Appaloosa had been painted over, much to the distress of Silver Bell. Any and all mention of zebra in a pony town were wiped out and not spoken of anymore. The same was said for zebra towns. Nightwatch tower saw a mass exodus as the hundred or so bat ponies that lived their in harmony with the zebra fled for both their sake. Equestria was starting to feel more and more like it did before the war for Rogue, and that wasn't a good thing. The mare stood over looking the fields and sighed.

"Senior Paladin Rogue Ranger!" one initiate named Sharp Shot cried as he galloped towards her.

"Kid, how many times do I have to tell you, commander or sergeant work just fine, those titles are a mouthful."

"Sorry sir, I mean mame, I mean…" Rogue groaned and waved her hoof to silence the blundering buck. He blushed and stood tall again. "Commander Oak Tree is looking for you."

"What for?" Rogue asked before she motioned the buck to lead the way.

"Target practice mame, she wants you to show us new recruits how its done." Rogue smirked before they stopped off for her helmet hanging in the barracks.

"Ah, I don't mind showing off." Rogue said before she slid her helmet on and with a twist locked it in place. "lets go kid." The young stallion smiled wide and placed his own helmet on. The initiates were all milling about when Rogue entered the armory. With a snap they leapt to attention and Sharp Shot joined the end of the line.

"Commander." Oak Tree said with a nod.

"Oak, you want me to whip these boys into shape then?"

"We're using the outside range, the targets are father apart. They need to practice formation." Oak said. Rogue nodded before she and Oak took up the lead Position.

"May I?" Rogue asked. Oak nodded then Rogue stood to her full height.

"LATERAL FORMATION!" the clanging as the rangers got into formation was thunderous as it quieted Rogue continued. "QUARTER PACE! FORWARD MARCH!" with that they began moving at even pace. Left front, right back, step, right front, left back, step. They march through the hall and out of the stable as steel rangers cleared the way for the two by two formation. At the range Clockwork was standing waiting for them. "HALT!" Rogue cried before the collective stomped with a smart clang. Clockwork stood and inspected each of them nodding before he stood off to the side.

"Forward align soldiers, across from the firing range!" the soldiers rushed to the complied station and stood facing the firing range. "Today your going to see a special treat. Rogue here trained with some of the best in the army, heck, she is one of the best. She's going to teach you haw to shoot. Not with those silly targets in the armory but with these real targets." Clockwork said motioning towards the range. It was a long distance firing range. The target were about a 15 meters away from the firing spot. Rogue scoffed, too easy. "Alright Rogue, show these boys how its done." Rogue smirked.

"With pleasure." She walked over to the range and pulled out her gun. But as she aimed she found it hard to see the targets. They were fuzzy at best and her eyes were starting to water as she tried to squint to see them. She annoyed and fired roughly at the target. The bullet pinged as it hit the metal stand the target was on. There was silence. Everypony was too afraid to speak. She moved onto the next target and fired again. The fence behind the target had a hole. She tried the next. another ping, this time above the target. She moved to the next. She was breathing heavily now with anger. She missed again this time it didn't even hit the fence. As she moved to the next one and failed to hit it again she screamed and fired one of her special gun. The large war head whistled audibly through the air and exploded when it hit the targets base. The steel rangers stared at her in shock as she stood there, shoulders rising and falling rapidly, until Sharp Shot walked up to her. He touched her shoulder and she turned to him. her irises where small in her eyes, he could see so through her semi tinted eyes piece.

"It wasn't working right, so I blew it up." She growled. Sharp Shot let her pass as she stomped off back to the stable.

* * *

"GO GO GO GO! TAKE NO PRISONERS! FORWARD RANKS MOVE MOVE MOVE!" Gun fire and flames and shouting. Blood everywhere.

"RANGER! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!" Running and fire and so much blood.

"ROGUE!"

"Steelhooves…"Rogue mumbled.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE HOLD YOUR FIRE! CIVILIANS IN THE CROSS FIRE!"

"ROGUE! ROGUE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" stripes, StripeS STRIPES!

"NO!" Rogue cried sitting bolt upright. She put her hooves on her eyes and flinched. It had been a long time since she relived memories like that. And it mustn't be a coincidence that it was that particular memory. Rogue sighed and rolled her shoulders. There was a knock at the door. It opened without her consent.

"What the hell was that?!" Clockwork asked with a fury filled gaze. "Are you Rogue ranger?"

"Yes I am sir… but you have to accept the same fact as me… my eyes are more broken then I thought…" she pushed him out and closed the door before she sighed and leaned against it. She heard the clang clang of hooves walked away and slumped down the door in defeat. With that she hung her head.

* * *

"you want me to fix your eyes?" the vault doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"yeah, use one of those fancy optometry spells…" the doctor rubbed her shin.

"well… I might be able to… this is an experimental spell I've been working on…it'll be temporary as well; it could fix your eyes, or it could blind you permanently." Rogue stared at the mare in horror before she swallowed and nodded.

"I'm already pretty much blind… so I'll take the chance." The doctor looked at her before she shrugged and began the spell.

"Alright lay down… and close your eyes." Rogue did and waited. There was heat growing in her eyes before it dissipated. "Alright… open." Rogue did, at first the world was bright and Rogue was sure she was blinded but after a few blinks her vision cleared. She sat up and looked at the doctor. "well, read this board here." Rogue looked at the board and smiled widely.

"Penta, Enclave, Zoology, Octa, Lover, Cloud,Fence,Time, Doctor." She sprung off the table with a hurrah. "Holy glory to the sun and moon! I haven't seen this good since I was a teenager!"

"Well technically you're severely nearsighted but-" the doctor was cut off by a very rough hug.

"Thank you so much!" with that she ran out of the doctors wing and of to the armory.

"I don't know…Star paladin clockwork had your armor and weapons detained."

"Trust me, it'll be fine!" Rogue shouted with a smile as she slid on her armor and gun before latching her helmet. She galloped out of the stable but she passed Clockwork who threw his paperwork down and chased her. She passed Pineapple Turnover, who saw Clockwork in chase and followed them. the trio passed Oak Tree and the newly reformed sniper unit. The young initiates all pushed passed Oak Tree and gave chase. Oak Tree huffed and chased after them.

"Rogue Ranger! Stop right there!" Clockwork cried as they left the stable. Rogue didn't stop running through tents as other steel ranger's dogded her mad dash. "By order of the M.O.W.T. army I demand that you stop. The mare skidded to a halt infront of the range and leaned down. The group that was following her tried in vain to stop and were flung into a heap of dented metal and groans.

"What is going on here?" Oak Tree called out as she clambered to her hooves, "Why are you chasing Rogue?"

"She's dangerous just like I said! She can't even shoot a target that's right in front of her!" Pineapple cried. Rogue smiled.

"I'm about to prove you wrong." Rogue went over to the range.

"Stop right now Ranger or I'll be forced to arrest you!" Clockwork cried. Rogue didn't listen. She set up her gun and scope. "you fire that weapon Ranger and I will bring you down!" Rogue exhaled and pulled the trigger. The bang rang out, followed by a jingle of a bell. The snipers were speechless. She moved back, reloading and fired again. Another jingle was heard, three more times she did it before she turned her gun skywards and pointed it up to the weather vane atop the Sweet Apple Acres barn. It was across a very large field and very high up.

"She'll never hit it…" one initiate whispered to his initiate mates. With a bang she pulled the trigger. It was followed two seconds later by a loud Bong that echoed around the acres.

"Wow!" the initiates all cried out. Sharp Shot particularly looked misty eyed. Pineapple was speechless, staring at the weather vane in shock. Clockwork looked at the mare a few second with a smiled before he shook his head, put away his gun and walked back to the stable. When Pineapple noticed he followed the elderly stallion.

"She made the shot… I don't believe it…" he cried and his cries disappeared into the vault. Oak Tree came over.

"Wow… that was one heck of a shot… how'd you do it?" Rogue sighed.

"I got some medical help for my eyes… it worked wonders… sadly it's temporary and it only fixes damage, it doesn't enhance." Oak Tree sighed.

"Too bad, I don't know if you noticed but the new sniper unit is crap… the only one who shows promise is Sharp Shot." Rogue picked the boy out in the crowd and thought back to that faithful day she met Steelhooves… her first training day…

 _"What's your name soldier?" "Rogue Sir, Rogue Ranger." "Hmmm, you show a lot of promise kid." "Thank you sir." "I'll see ya around." "Sir yes sir." "Naw naw naw, none of that, my names Steelhooves…"_

"Uh Rogue? Are you in there Rogue?" the ghoul walked away towards the stallion.

"Oak Tree tells me you're good kid." Sharp Shot stood at attention.

"She speaks highly of me mame, I'm nothing like you, I could never make that shot." Rogue looked up at the weather vane.

"Well I have a physical trait to help… show me what ya got." Sharp Shot looked at her before he looked about when he realized she wasn't kidding.

"Oh! Oh right!" he ran for his gun and set up. He fired hitting the target but there was no bell. On he went, sometimes he hit the bell, sometimes he didn't, but it was a start.

"Hmm… I'll see ya around kid." Rogue said turning away. The Stallion snapped to attention.

"Yes mame!" Rogue looked back a fraction before she nodded and turned around.

"Naw, none of that… my names Rogue…" the stallion was speechless as Rogue walked away, and she knew that just like Steelhooves, she had changed this young stallions life forever.

* * *

A/N:and so it begins...

to think Rogue needs an optometrist spell to function in the war when she was such a dislike for that kind of magic.

That my friends, is the definition of irony.

it also probably makes her super angry underneath all of that gratitude from being sightly again...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I must be psychic...

ONWARDS!

* * *

"Rogue." Clockwork said knocking on the mares door.

"Yes sir?" Rogue asked putting down her pen and pushing away some paperwork.

"I wanted to know that as one of the elders of this place you are expected to attend the hearths warming pageant." Rogue blinked before she burst into loud laughter. She hit the desk a few times with a ringing bang before she looked at the old stallion with watery eyes. He was not amused.

"You're serious!"

* * *

"I can't believe he's making me do this! I'm two hundred and seventy something years old! Who could I possibly take to this stupid formal dance… I hate these things! Applejack used to drag me to them all the time to keep her company! Ugh! I hate the way Steelhooves would bribe with sex in her office! I mean its just not fair! I don't have the bits to do that! I mean I could try with my hooves or maybe my toungue…"

"OKAY OKAY! Too much information…" Oak Tree said with a shudder. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"This is a stupid event! Why is it even happening?" Oak Tree sighed.

"The stable dwellers have held a hearths warming celebration for two hundred years now, making it a 1500 year old equestrian tradition." Rogue grumbled.

"I didn't celebrate it before the war I sure didn't expect to after."

"You din't celebrate it? The scribe say it was a staple of every household…" Rogue sighed.

"My mom came from a group of travelling ponies called Roma. We never celebrated hearths warming at all because the Roma believe is some other goddess…" Rogue rubbed her head. "Tell you the truth it's a little fuzzy… the last few years of the war I didn't want anything to do with my parents and I didn't celebrate any holiday… wait no, I did celebrate one thing." Rogue said with a michievious smirk.

"What?" oak tree asked. Rogue looked at her.

"My friends and I celebrated Qwanza in the last year of the war." Oak Tree's mouth dropped open.

"You celebrated a zebra holiday at the height of the war!? Why!?" Rogue sighed.

"My friend Circuit Board was a pacifist. It was a protest… he wasn't talking to me by the time Canterlot fell, real pissed that I joined the war… he taught me a few words in zebra and even sponsored a zebra band in Canterlot…" Oak Tree was flabbergasted.

"Wow… you had some weird friends." Rogue looked at her and frowned.

"I din't think they were all that weird." Oak tree looked flabbergast and embaraced.

"Sorry…" Oak Tree looked around a bit then whispered to Rogue. "How do you celebrate Qwanza anyway?" Rogue looked at her with a mischievous grin.

* * *

Clockwork and Pineapple turnover were in the diner relaxing.

"What'd she say?" Pineapple asked as the waitress mare handed him some freshly squeezed apple juice.

"She thought I was kidding, then she got upset of course." Clockwork said before he nodded to the other waitress as she handed him his whiskey. They blushed and walked away squealing making Clockwork frown. Pineapple watched this and went back to his drink with a frown.

"Its always older guys." He grumbled. As he said this Initiate Sharp Shot poked his head into the dinner. His hair was slicked back and he had a bouqet of vault flowers in his hooves.

"Erm, sirs… have you seen Rogue around?" the pair stared at the boy with opened mouths before they both shook their head rapidly. The boy drooped before he trotted out of the dinner. The pair of stallions watched him leave. They could hear him in the hallways as he ran into Oak Tree. "Oh! Paladin Oak Tree, have you seen Rogue?"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAH! Good one kid!" Oak Tree said before she trotted into the dinner. She saw the pair of stallions staring at the door and looked at them in horror. "Oh my goddesses… he wasn't kidding!" she looked back in the hallway in shock. Clockwork put his drink down and slid it away.

"I'm gonna be sick." He said quietly.

"Poor kid is gonna have his heart ripped out and stepped on!"

"Or eaten." Pineapple said with dark chuckle.

"Not funny." Oak said with growl.

"Either way we have to stop him… one of us has to ask Rogue instead." Clockwork said. the two looked at Pineapple. He looked at the two other them

"No! I already…"

"I know you don't have a date, the initiates have been laughing about it behind your back!" Oak said with a glare.

"Little shits! I'm gonna drill them twice as hard for that." He looked at Clockwork "Why don't you! You're the oldest!"

"I'm going with the overmare as a sing of good favor." Pineapple looked desperate now.

"Oak! You like her! You ask her!"

"I'm already taking somepony! My super special somepony! Whipped Dream from the explosives department." She said with a blush. Pineapple slumped into the booth.

"She's so old though…"

"Yeah! And sharp shot is younger then you!"

"So what, it seems less like cradle robbing if I ask her?"

"YES!" the pair responed in exaspiration. Pineapple just groaned.

* * *

"He what! Holy hells! I mean I carried a bit of a flame for Steelhooves but there is no way…"

"Okay Rogue! Just say yes… the guys will stop tormenting me if I have a girl and you need a way out of dancing the night away with your great great great great great great great great great great great great…"

"Okay I get it." Rogue said with exasperated glare. She looked up to the ceiling closed her eyes and sighed. "Alright, I'll go with you, but you have to square dance with me." Rogue said turning away.

"Don't you mean waltz?" Pineapple asked her. She didn't look back and went back into her room. The door slid closed with an air of finality. "Er okay then, see ya at eight." As he turned to go report to Clockwork he saw a devastated Sharp Shot at the end of the hall. "Better luck next time kid." Pineapple said with a grumble. Sharp Shot's eyes steamed up and he galloped away throwing his bouquet in the trash. Pineapple rolled his eyes. "Sissy boy."

* * *

Pineapple stood outside Rogue's door a few days later checking his watch.

"Would you hurry up Ranger!"

"Rogue! Call me Rogue!" she yelled threw the door. "It wont sound really if you don't call me Rogue!"

"Alright then, Hurry up Rogue!"

"Ugh!" Rogue said and the door opened. She was wearing a dark brown dress with white lace around the bottom of the skirt and sleves. The collar was decorated with golden flourishes and the ensamble was tied off with a lace half hat that swept Rogue's bangs off to the side. On her chest was her only military medal, the symbol of her unit. A half inch star with1.S1 in the center of a cross hair etched into it. "Men are so impatient." Pineapple looked her up and down with raised eyebrows.

"You don't look half bad."

"Why thank you." Rogue said stepping forward.

"For a two hundred year old walking corpse." Rogue turned and growled at him.

"Want to see how much of a ghoul I can be!" she ground out. Pineapple just held out his arm and together they walked to the atrium. As they approached the music could be heard.

"Holy crap!" Rogue said with a twitching smile. "I haven't heard this song in forever!" Pineapple snorted as the music hit then with full force.

 **"Jingle belle, jingle belle, jingle belle rock! Jingle belle swing with a jingle belle ping!"** the duet on the slightly raised stage sang out.

" **Cowens are coming to ruin our fun!"** the woman from the vault sang.

" **Time ta cut loose leave yer ties undone!"** the male steel ranger sang. Rogue smiled and swung her hips a bit as she listened. Together she and Pineapple made there way over to where Clockwork, the overmare, Oak and her partner Whipped Dream, were sitting at one of the round tables.

"Pinapple, Ms. Rogue." Clockwork said dipping his head to the pair. "Nice dress." Rogue looked at him.

"Nice uniform." She responded. Clockwork growled and straightened his uniform jacket. The overmare chuckeled alongside Oak and Whipped Dream.

 **"Hurry up, jingle bucks! Don't be scared!"**

 **"Tell them how great they are!"**

 **"Nothing rings true like a love that's shared! That's the jingle belle, that's the jingle belle, thanks the jingle belle Rooooooocccccckkkkk! Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo YEAH!"** the audience applauded as the pair took a bow and steped off the stage. The ponies of ceremony, again a vault dweller and steel ranger, stepped forward to continue it along.

"Another wonderful hearths warming classic, and now, Sergeant Steel Hide will sing 'A Nuclear Winter Wonderland'." With tat the pair stepped back and the sergeant stepped forward.

 **"A nuclear winter wonderland, oh it's quite a sight to see."** Clockwork stood and offered his hoof to the overmare, who blushed and took it. Together they swept onto the dance floor with a even gate and began to waltz. Soon other couples were joining in. Pineapple stepped up.

"May I have this dance?" Rogue put on a fake shocked face.

"Oh pineapple! You shouldn't have!" she said before she took his hoof. The pair waltz around the edges. After a while Rogue smiled and closed her eyes and let Pineapple lead her and just listened to the music.

 **"Dancing around, the balefire bomb like a hearths warming of old. Everyones dancing merrily in the glowing ash and snooooow!**

 _"you look really special tonight Rogue…"_ "oh Circuit…" _" I could kiss you…"_ "Circuit…"

 **" You will get that warm tingly feeling deep inside…** ** _love is blooming around us filling hearts with joy and sadness…_** _"Rogue…"_ "Rogue!"

"Ranger!"

"What?" Rogue blinked around in confusion before she looked up at Pineapple Turnover.

"You went bat shit crazy!" he whispered hoarsely, "Stared calling me Circuit… Sharp Shot is staring at us, I think he's gonna try and cut in… what do we do?" Rogue looked for the initiate. True to Pineapple's word Sharp Shot was staring at the pair. Rogue looked around for some inspiration and got it.

"Kiss me."

"What?!" he shouted making couples around them turn and look in confusion. Rogue could hear the song ending and shook her head before she grabbed Pineapple's face and forced his face to hers, locking their lips together. Pineapple made a distressed sound as Rogue dragged him out of the atrium. She could see Sharp Shot in the corner of her eyes crying into the shoulder of another initiate. She continued backing up as other couples walked passed them with giggles and laughs. Rogue dragged him all the way out of the vault where she finally released him. Pineapple walked away a bit and shuddered all over, holding himself, rocking slightly.

"YOU'RE MOUTH IS SLIMY!" he shouted out in a high squeaky distressed voice. After a few seconds he retched and puked. "I feel nausous." He groaned. Rogue looked at him in horror.

"Oh shit! Come on!" she dragged the stallion, who looked pale and shaky, through the halls. She took him to her room, where she search through her bags. "Here, drink this!" she said holding out a packet of Rad away+. The steel ranger took the packet and chugged it back. Within seconds he felt better and he looked down at his hoof.

"…YOU GAVE ME RADIATION POISONING?!" HE shouted out in that squeaky voice again. Rogue slammed a hoof into her fore head. She should have gone with Sharp shot.

* * *

A/N: a lovely little Hearths Warming chapter to keep you company.

Pineapple Turnover can't get a girlfriend because he's a jerk…

poor guy. :{D


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry for the wait... I had a late night last night...

happy belated Halloween.

ONWARDS!

* * *

Rogue watched as the group of young stallions and mares ran threw a special sniper training facility the steel rangers had set up.

"Watch your footing, Whip Crack." The mare adjusted and jumped over the next hurdle in perfect form. Down the track Whippersnapper hopped over a barricade and fired three shots. "Save your ammo snapper!"

"Sorry mame!" Whippersnapper cried out.

"And be silent!" Rogue growled angrily. she moved down to the end of the run where Sharp Shot was working. "Good form, good form!" the initiate ducked as an over head swinging log rushed towards him and he turned and fired three successful rounds into the three moving targets. He then ran for the switch in the center of the field and pulled it off. The fixtures of the training ground stopped running and Rogue whistled for the initiates to stand before her. "well… Sharp Shot is the only one in form… which means I want three laps around the ring, all of you!" Rogue called when she saw Sharp Shot glance at the others smugly. His grin melted away. "A unit is only as good as the group. If you don't learn to work together you'll never succeed. Three laps! Lets go!" Rogue cried before she started the group off. Soon she was being followed by the rest of the snipers. they were a group of eight all together. Young initiates with the strongest eye tests of them all. The only one that actually showed any kind of talent was Sharp Shot but he fell short of Rogue's far shot record by ten feet and seven inches, a far distance in the realm of a sniper. But the initiates were learning fast. Already their skills had improved exponentially, especially when Rogue was assign to be their trainer. As the groups of ranger's, now running all at the same pace in perfect formation, turned the third corner in their second lap Clockwork approached the ring.

"Ranger!" he called out and Rogue broke off from the group.

"Yes sir?" Clockwork ducked his head closer to hers.

"Scouts say there has been some activity in the mountains of the everfree… zebra parties snooping around. They've assessed that the zebra are non civilians and some appear to be heavily armed… we think Anexina is building an army…" Rogue listened to this and shook her head.

"I know what your going to say Clockwork… they aren't ready…" Clockwork sighed.

"It isn't a matter of ready or not Rogue… the vault is in danger… those zebra need to be taken down…" Rogue had a bad feeling about this whole thing.

"I don't like this Clock… it's like they're luring us out…" Clockwork looked at her grimly and she realized that is exactly what he thought. "but the vault dwellers are scared…" Rogue finished with a sigh. Clockwork looked around and sighed.

"Between you and me… I've been hearing that some of the dwellers want to kick us out… they're scared Ranger… scared ponies do bad things… look where we are now, do you think we got hear cause ponies were feeling brave?" Rogue made no comment as the commander of the steel ranger army walked away. Rogue sighed and turned to the group just finishing up their third lap.

"Hey Shrimps… you're in luck, we're going on a field trip!"

* * *

Sharp Shot scanned the area with the motion scanner again and shook his head.

"Nothing yet mame." Rogue shifted to get more comfortable.

"they'll be here… the scouts don't lie." Rogue looked through her eye piece and scanned the area again. She pulled away and shook her head before she turned to her walkie talkie.

"This is S1 to S2 do you copy over." The pair waited before the radio crackeled.

"This is S2. The skies are clear over." Rogue cursed.

"S1 to S3 over."

"S3. nothing yet over."

"Damn." Rogue said pulling away from the eye piece. "Where the fuck are they?"

"Maybe they saw us coming?" Sharp Shot asked.

"No, our stealth tactics were perfect…" Rogue grumbled, fitting her eye to the eye piece again. Suddenly the radio crackled.

"I see something! Five zebra coming up the south side!" S3 cried out.

"S2 confirmed." Rogue set up.

"Sharp! Show me the sunrise." Sharp Shot scanned and found the targets.

"They're traveling about two miles per hour, wind speed at about 20. due east." Rogue readied her gun. Then Sharp clicked on the radio.

"This is S1, synchronized fire boys, just like we practiced." With that Sharp waited. Finally Rogue blinked an eye. "Now!" Sharp called over the radio. With a bang from all side of the quarry the targets fell. But as the bodies fell to the dirt they disappeared in a ripple. Rogue's eyes widened.

"Fuck! It was an illusion!" but it was too late. Out of the forest jumped zebra stealth warriors. She and Sharp fought them off well enough. But Sharp Shot had his leg cut by a zebra blade. Rogue pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around his leg. "They used the gun fire to pinpoint our location." Rogue growled out. She picked up her walkie talkie.

"S2 do you copy?" there was nothing but static. "S2?" Rogue swallowed. "S4? Whip crack? Do you copy?" more static. "No no no…" Rogue mumbled out in a panic. She didn't notice Sharp Shot fall to the ground in a trance. "S3 do you copy?" finally a pony responded.

"Rogue! Oh gods it's awful, Flash Bang is dead, there's blood everywhere, what do I do I don't." Rogue didn't hear the rest. She fell into a trance like state.

 _"Amani."_ said the sweet voice in Rogue's ear. " _Amani."_ Rogue felt her eyelids get heavy. _"Usingizi…"_ murmured the voice and Rogue felt her eyes droop.

"But I can't sleep… I'm a ghoul…" Rogue mumbled in a lulled confusion. The voice made a nosie of annoyance before it made a pleased noise and chanted a phrase.

 _"Maana ikiwa usingizi wa kifo kile ndoto inaweza kuja…"_ with that Rogue felt heavy and slipped away into unconsciousness.

* * *

Rogue came to with a start in a small room. Across from a table sat the very zebra she had been hunting, cloaked in black. Beside him stood a zebra clothed in traditional voodoo garments of red and black, including the wildebeest skull helmet. On his other side was a buff zebra warrior, with heavy barding and a zebra assault rifle. Rogue looked at Anexina and glared.

"You filthy son of a bitch." Anexina chuckeled.

"Now now Jambazi! Language." Rogue collected and spat out a ball of saliva at the zebra. It caught on his cloak and the voodoo zebra hissed.

 _"Adhabu!"_ she cried and Rogue tensed as pain lanced her body. She looked at the magical zebra and sneered.

"Ng'ombe." The zebra witch schrieked.

"Kwamba uasherati ikilinganishwa mimi ng'ombe!" she cried. The zebra warrior sneered.

"Utulivu dhoruba!" he cried out gruffly, this ony seemed to make the witch more furious. Finally Anexina sighed

"Amani familia yangu!" Anexina said and he turned back to Rogue.

"You treat me with such disrespect Rogue, when I intend to help you. your kind have obviously been holding you captive as well… I can bring you home again. Simply let me do my work." Rogue snorted.

"I know what is wrong with you Anexina… you can't stand the thought." Anexina frowned.

"What thought rafiki?" Rogue looked him right in the eyes and smirked grimly.

"You can't stand the idea that your own kind would doom you." Anexina's cool demeanor fell to reveal a madness within. "You can't stand the idea that your homeland is gone! Because you can't stand the idea that your kind couldn't have know that as they were destroying our home, they were destroying their own too!" Anexina slapped Rogue across the face then punched her on the opposite side. Rogue's head lolled down as her vision blurred and her ears rang. But she could hear a very distinct phrase.

"Kufanya yake kuteseka, kama mimi kuteswa…" Rogue barely made out the door of a shack slamming before her world was once again lulled into black. She heard faint noises before one word stood out, one Rogue knew well.

 _"Hofu."_

* * *

Rogue's world slammed back into focus. At first Rogue didn't know where she was. Everything was very grey for as far as she could see. Then she looked down. Rogue forget that she could go without breathing. She forgot that the pulsing sound she heard wasn't her heart but her brain. She forgot that she was dead. All she knew was the fall. The long long fall to certain death.

She screamed.

* * *

"Well find her!" Oak cried in the sea of mass panic. Sharp Shot and Pumpkin pie had returned and told the story of the ambush and about Rogue's disappearance, now the steel rangers were searching everywhere for her, but her armor had been removed and without it they had no way to track her besides line of sight and so, dozens of searc parties had gone out to look for her.

"We're doing everything we can Oak, just calm down!" Pinapple cried as he listened to the reports from the search parties. Suddenly a loud ringing noise blocked out all sound as every pony grabbed there ears.

"Sorry!" Littlepip cried. "I need to get your attention. I found her!"

"You did!? Where is she?" Oak cried. Littlepip gulped.

"At the top of Canterlot Mountain." And silence permeated the room.

* * *

"Rogue!" a voice called. But the mare was breathing too hard for her to recognize who it was. "Rogue please listen to me! Help is on the way!" Rogue was still hyperventilating when the tingling began. It was annoying at first then it began to grow in intensity. Finally Rogue could stand it no more and she blinked her eyes in pain. But when she opened her eyes the world before her was blurry. Rogue's ear filled with cotton. Even though she could here the murmuring of some pony shouting her brain couldn't compute it. Finally her eyes rolled into the back of her skull and she plummeted to the earth.

* * *

"OH MY GODDESSES! SHE FELL!" Littlepip screamed over the radio. The steel rangers all cried out in horror before their screams were drown out by a loud roar over head, like a thundercloud war cloud travelling above at top speed. The roar made all of them clutch their ears in pain. The black and grey blur whizzed far ahead before it lifted up and pointed straight for the clouds. As it reached the top of Canterlot mountain it did a double helix and head straight for the steel rangers standing outside of vault 2. The rangers were surrounded in a massive cloud of dust as the strange object fell into their midst.

"Hey is one of you ponies gonna help her? She aint opening her eyes." The cloud cleared was cleared with a few wing beats. The steel ranger's were all gaping inside their armor as Strike the hunter stood before them, holding Rogue in his arms. Oak and the vault doctor rushed forwards, pulling Rogue into to vault. Littlepip floated up with her sprite bot.

"How…" Strike looked at the trail of displaced dust he had left in her landing and the far off destroyed building. He shrugged.

"I've always been a bit destructive… full steam ahead you know."

"But how did you…"

"Hear about it?" the griffon asked. Again he shrugged. "You were shouting pretty loud… plus I was scouting ahead and I picked up your frequency…" the griffin looked towards the vault and nodded his head. "Rogue sent me to collect the hunters back up, they're about a day behind me, ya see she kinda owes me her life…and she always pays up so I like ta keep doing that if only for the favor." Strike ruffled his feathers and took off. "I gotta report back to Whiskey, tell her she owes me alright?" he didn't stay for a response and dashed off leaving a crater in his wake. Littlepip's antenna were blown back and a few rotted trees nearby were uprooted. Clockwork looked up at the grey speck high above.

"He's fast." He mumbeled lamely. Littlepip made a noise of shocked agreement. Oak rushed out of the vault worriedly. The pair turned to her and felt their spirits fall at the look on her face.

"We have a problem." Oak said. The filly and stallion waited for the worst.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger… but it's the best place to cut off… the next chapter is a really heavy chapter… three chapters left… well… maybe two… I'm not sure about the last one yet… but I do know one thing.

I'm going to do a dramatic ready of part of the last chapter.

I hope you all look forward to that. ;)

-Authora.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Rogue opened her eyes in a plain white space. It seemed to have no dimensions of any kind. A simple white plane.

"I'm really dead." Rogue said with disbelief.

"Naw, not yet! Ya still got a few years." A boyish voice called out jokingly from behind her. Rogue whipped around and gawked. Standing before her was a blue male pegasus with a midnight mane wearing a yellow and blue jumpsuit with wind goggles.

"Soarin? Soarin of the wonderbolts?" the stallion smiled.

"The very same, you had quite the crush on me when you were younger." Rogue stood there mortified.

"How did you find out!? I never told anyone!" Rogue cried. That's when it clicked. "I'm dreaming…"

"Hallucinating actually." Soarin laughed. Rogue looked around in confusion.

"What happened?" Rouge asked. Soarin's face fell.

"Times up Ranger." He walked forwards a bit and a strange white fog rolled in. "You've been carrying all this baggage around for too long." He walked further into the fog his voice becoming distant. "It's time to look back…" slowly a bright light shone through the fog. Finally it cleared. Rogue blinked and glanced around in horror…

"Canterlot…" she murmured.

"Yep." Soarin said from above her. Rogue looked as a younger version of herself skipped passed. A huge smile plastered across her face. Rogue felt her heart grow heavy.

"They were so cruel…" she followed her filly self dreading the truth she'd find. She watched as her younger self skipped up the steps of Canterlot public school. She followed through crowds as little Rogue walked up to the door of her home room. As the young filly stood there she was soon surrounded by other filly's, all unicorns, who were snickering.

"Oh, hello? Are you in this class too?" the young Rogue asked innocently. Rogue let her eyes close as the filly's all snickered.

"Yes, but we'll actually be learning things." The tallest filly snidely commented. The young Rogue looked at them in confusion.

"Of course we'll be learning things, our education is important. Without our education we wont be able to be a productive members of society." The young filly said quietly. The filly sneered and laughed.

"Look at the earth pony using big words, did it take you all week to memorize that sentence?" the fillies around her laughed cruelly as the little Rogue's face finally fell a bit. The cruel bully got right up to Rogue face. "Every pony knows that all earth ponies are good for is playing with mud." She smiled evilly and with a splat there was mud all over Rogue's face and expensive uniform. "Have fun." She said in sing song as the bell rang. The filly Rogue looked down at her ruined uniform and with a whimper ran down the hallway in tears while the entire school, who were all unicorns, laughed. The adult Rogue glared at the long dead bully and snarled in a ghoulish way.

"I'm not sorry she's dead." She ground out.

"Me either." Soarin said as the scene bled out to the white plain again. "Hey do you think you could think up a pie for me?" Rogue stared at him.

"Aren't yuo supposed to say something like, no Rogue that's not right, empathy is the best policy." Soarin smiled at her.

"Hey, you created me, I agree with what ever you say… but you're forgetting part of that story…" he said and the world came into focus again. The little Rogue had run away from the school and was crying in a back alley. Rogue felt her lip tug up in the shadow of smile as the little Rogue's ear perked up to the sound of a similar whimpering.

"Wh… who's there?" the crying tapered off and from behind a pile of trash came.

"Circuit…" Rogue said quietly. Soaring smiled behind her.

"Who'r you?" the little Rogue asked. The colt made his way down the pile of trash and stood before Rogue.

"I'm Circuit Board…" little Rogue looked at the pegasus colt with sympathy.

"They were picking on you too… because you don't have magic…" Circuit nodded and opened him mouth to say something but was cut off.

"Hey! Get out of my alley way!" a voice called from around the corner. The stallion sounded mean and the two looked at each other worriedly.

"Hide!" Circuit whispered and the two dove behind piles of trash as the shadow flipped open a switchblade.

"You better be out of my alley way!" the voice called. Rogue and Circuit both peeked out as the mystery stallion finally clear the corner.

"You're just a colt!" Circuit jumped up angrily. indeed it was juts a colt. He was a brown unicorn with a dark brown mane. The colt jumped and pointed his switchblade at Circuit.

"I said get out! This is my alley! Find your own!" the two colts started fighting over the switch blade. Rogue finally jumped out from her hiding spot.

"Stop it! You're both being idiots!" the little filly cried. Rogue laughed as the memory faded. She was still chuckling as Soarin stood beside her.

"And so one of the most notorious friendships in pre war history began." He said with a smile. Rogue chuckled again.

"Yeah, we sure got into a lot of trouble…" Soarin smirked.

"yeah, like that time with the police officer…" Rogue frowned.

"I made peace with that a long time ago." The pegasus shoot his head.

"Naw, it ain't what happened then that worries me, but after…" Soarin backed into the cloud. "I think it's time you confront a certain pink pony!" Rogue's face fell into a resigned frown. Luckily for Rogue the fog cleared after Pinkie Pie's ridiculous smiling song. Th now teen Rogue was walking towards the alleys when Pinkie Pie popped up in front of her.

"You're not… you're not smiling…" the young Rogue stared at her before she scoffed and pushed passed her.

"There aint much to smile about…" Rogue grumbled. The mare's mane deflated a bit before she put on a determined expression.

"I bet you anything you want that I can make you smile." The young Rogue stopped. The ghoul Rouge felt a smile play over her lips. Teen Rogue turned with a hard face.

"I want a lifetime pass to Pinkie land and Gummy's fun house for me and my friends." Pinkie put on a strained smile but nodded.

"Alright, if I can't make you smile, I'll give you and your friends what you want. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie said, performing the actions. The older Rogue smiled sadly and wiped a tear away from her eye. Pinkie Pie's hair puffed out and she grabbed teen Rogue and pulled her to the train station. Rogue's memories flashed white and color as Pinkie tried everything to get the teen pony to smile. She tried the circus and Pinkie land and boating and skiing. She took the filly out to all of the ministry offices. Took her to the rainbow factory of Clousdale. But it was all in vain. The younger Rouge never smiled. Finally the flashing stopped. Pinkie was flopped down on her back at Douge Junction moaning and groaning. "You're a tough cookie to crumble." Teen Rogue didn't say anything. But then a whole group of earth ponies dressed up with cowpony hats and ropes and chaps walked by all laughing and smiling and have a good time. Rogue stared at them in interest. A light bulb appeared over Pinkie's head and she smiled wide. The pink mare grabbed Rogue and pulled her to the ticket booth. "Two tickets to Appleloosa please." Rogue blinked then frowned.

"My dad says Appleloosa is filled with hick ponies that marry their cousins." Pinkie stared at her.

"Your dad is weird." The train whistled and the two ponies dashed onto the train. Rogue looked around as she saw all sorts of cow ponies milling around. Their thick accents were hard to understand at first but Rogue was intrigued. Finally the train screeched to a halt and the ponies poured out into the station. Rogue stared in wonder as the she watched the spectical of the Appleloosa rodeo. There were ponies of all shapes and sizes, mostly earth ponies though there were a few pegasi and unicorns and even some buffalo, and all sorts of carnival games. Darts and ball throws, A dunk tank and even bobbing for apples. There were pie throws and even a buffalo medicine tent that was selling herbal remedies and talismans. Rogue stared and her eyes lit up. Slowly a smile crept onto her face. Pinkie smiled wide. Rogue charged forwards into the crowd until she came to a cow pony event. It was lasso contest. The rope was spinning round and round and the ponies were jumping through it and around it and one of then was even levitating his hat above the rope with wind. Pinkie looked at her and smiled. "Come on! This isn't even half of it!" Pinkie took her to the main event. The hay bale stack. At security Pinkie flashed her ministry badge. "Ministry mare Pinkemina Diane Pie and guest." She said and the pair moved to the winning circle. Rogue watched as the group of four worked on stacking the hay bales into a tower. She watched in wonder as the last hay bale was tossed. A yellow earth pony teen with a rose mane and a pink bow tossed it over to a pink mare with a swirly green mane who bucked it to a yellow stallion with a brown cow pony hat over his orange mane and finally he bucked it up to the last pony on the stack. Teen pony realized with a jerk that it was the same mare who said she had good eyes when she hit that police pony with a rock. The orange mare with the flaxen mane bucked the hay bale harder then Rogue had ever seen another pony buck. The hay bale soared up and up and up until it landed on the top with a hard crunchy thump. The tower swayed a bit before it settled. The crowd roared along with Rogue as the stallion, and two mares leaped off the tower. The orange mare was presented with a tall golden trophy and the MC pony came forwards.

"Well well well, no shock here, once again for five years now, our defending champion of the Hay bale toss is Ministry mare Applejack!" the ponies all cried out in joy and Applejack's name was chanted.

"APPLE-JACK! APPLE-JACK! APPLE-JACK!" the mare made her way to the winners circle. She shook each ponies hoof before she stopped and smiled at Rogue.

"Well, I'll be. If isn't my little trouble maker, ya didn't smuggle yerself in here did ya?" Rogue shook her head. Applejack smiled and saw Pinkie standing next to her. The mare shook her head. "I see it now. Pinkie dragged you out here huh, let me guess, ya bet she couldn't make ya smile right?" Rogue nodded. Applejack laughed.

"Well then…" she didn't finish seeing Rogue look up at the pile then back to her.

"How did you do that?" Rogue asked in shocked wonder. Applejack chuckled and ruffled the teen ponies mane.

"Pinkie, why don'tcha ya come down for the apple family Reunion; it's tomorrow… bring yer friend here…" Rogue stared at the mare in shock. The MC pony stepped forwards.

"It is the Appleloosa rodeo's greatest pleasure to award you with this commemorative hat Mrs. Applejack." Applejack took the hat with the gently hooves. It was a brown hat with a red ribbon around the base. The ribbon had a repeated darker red apple motif all along it. Applejack looked at the hat for a few seconds before she smashed it into Rogue's head. The teen pony stared up at her with a shocked smiled. Applejack winked as she walked away. Soarin returned as the memory faded away.

"You owe Pinkie a lot." Rogue chuckeled.

"Yeah… I do… I never got ta say thanks… she fell so far… I saw her only once more after the reunion… she'd changed…" Rogue looked down to her hooves. "we both had…" Soarin disappeared as the world faded again. Rogue saw snow drifting down past her and heard the old music echoing in the night and frowned in horror.

"No no no! Not this! Please I don't want ta see this!" she cried covering her eyes with her hooves. But in the end she brought them down again. Rogue was dressed in a roan ballroom dress for the annual hearths warming pagent. She was wearing her sniper unit 1 pin with a miniature top hat with a lace cover. She was leaning against a wall smoking when the door to a nearby dance hall opened and in the door was Circuit, dressed in black blazer with head phones around his neck. At the same time Sleazy walked around the corner and ran a comb through his hair with his magic.

"Rogue, honey." Sleazy called out. Down the street Circuit made a face and quickened his step. "me and the boys are heading down to the zebra town for some good times, ya up?" Rogue pulled her cigarette out of her mouth and began to respond when Circuit pulled her to his side.

"She's coming with me actually, DJ Pom-3 and I are going to a club in Manehattan later tonight, it's gonna be a wild time, and it's drug free… so ah, you're not allowed in." Sleazy stood away from the wall and frowned.

"Are you saying somethin there Circuit. If ya got something ta say, just say it." Rogue looked up at Circuit as Sleazy, who was about two hands taller than him, got right up into his face. The pegasus swallowed before his face set into determination.

"Rogue is too good for a drug addicted criminal like you." the unicorn flared his nostrils before he pulled the pegasi's collar and shoved him. Rogue stepped away into the snow filled street as the pair's hooves started flying everywhere. The street was empty and the sounds of there fight echoed in the pearly night. After Circuit landed a few hits Sleazy stepped back and pulled out his age old switchblade.

"We aint colts no more." Sleazy growled out as a bit of blood dribbled down the side of his mouth. He began swiping at Circuit as the pegasi swerved and dodged out of the way.

"STOP IT! SLEAZY STOP IT!" Rogue cried and she tried to grab Sleazy's arm. The blade whipped through the air and slashed through Rogue's sleeve and leg. She cried out and clutched her other hoof to the growing red spot. Both stallions were frozen in shock before they both rushed to help her. Circuit pushed Sleazy away.

"Get away! This is all your fault!" Sleazy pushed back.

"Circuit! Leave Sleazy alone!" Rogue cried out. Circuit turned to the mare in shock.

"You're siding with him!? He just cut you up!" Rogue pushed them both away and limped over to the edge of the steel light they were standing in, her blood was slowly seeping into the snow below. Both stallions huffed.

"Come see me tomorrow Rogue, then I'll know you made the right choice." Circuit said before he stormed off back to the dance hall. Rogue made a distressed sound and followed him with her eyes. She turned back to Sleazy and saw him lighting a cigarette. He popped his collar and combed his hair again.

"Same goes for me Rogue. Who ever you choose gets to keep you I guess." Rogue stared at him horrified.

"Don't make me choose Sleazy, please don't make me choose." But older Rogue knew how this ended. Her younger self was left in the falling snow with a bleeding leg as the two stallions that had been friends since foal only to be broken apart fighting over her went their separate ways. The world faded away. But the silhouette of herself crying in the middle of the street under a streetlamp was burned into her damaged eyes. She turned her tear stained face to Soarin. He looked sadly back.

"Who'd you choose?" Rogue clenched her jaw angrily. A few tears streaked down her face.

"You know perfectly well I didn't choose either!" she snarled angrily. The pegasus didn't' saw anything simply faded again. Rogue looked around in horror at the scene before her.

"No… not thins, please not this… anything but this…" Rogue straightened her beret and pin to her vest with a hard straight face. As she exited her room and descended the stairs her mother smiled up at her sadly.

"Rogue dear, I've made breakfast… why not eat here one last time before your transfer, just like old times." Inner Eye said. but her smiled as forced. Rogue sighed in annoyance before she nodded and together with her mother she sat at the dining room table. Her father was sitting on her right, her mother across from you.

"So you're being transferred t the Manehattan brach?" Four eyes said with a bored tone. Rogue grated her teeth.

"All of the Canterlot branch is, Applejack is moving the main headquarters there." Rogue said as she lifted her fork with her hoof. Inner Eye was looking at her plate forlornly. All parties knew where this was going.

"I still cant believe Celestia put that hick pony in charge of the army." Rogue slammed her fork onto the table.

"Applejack is ten times the pony you'll ever be!" Four Eyes leaped up and snarled.

"I should have sued her for child endangerment all those years ago!" Rogue's eyes burned with fury.

"FOR THE LAST TIME I LIKE MY EYES THE WAY THEY ARE!"

"THE MORE YOU STRAIN THEM THE WEAKER YOUR EYES WILL BE WHEN YOU GET OLDER! THEY'RE A DANGER!"

"They're my eyes dad!"

"I don't want you getting hurt with this war! Besides! They'll never heal if you strain them!" Rogue and him were now nose to nose as her mother sat in her seat with very sad eyes.

"IT'S MY CHOICE WETHER I GET HURT IN THIS WAR OR NOT!"

"I'M YOUR FATHER AND I AM IN CHARGE OF YOUR WELL BEING!" Rogue squished her face flat against her fathers and snarled out a deadly sentence that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"You're a coward and I hate you!" with that the mare stomped out of the house, grabbing her pack on her way out and slammed the door behind her. Inner Eye stepped out of the house.

"Rogue! Rogue come back please! At least say goodbye to your father… he loves you very much." Rogue turned to her mother with fury.

"No he doesn't. He doesn't love me at all… and neither do you." Rogue's mother was shocked before she sighed and let her shoulders slump and her eyes close.

"Have a nice day dear… and avoid tuna fish." With that Inner Eye slipped back into the house. Rogue stared at the mare in indignant fury before she hiked her pack up her shoulder and stopmed down the road to the gate. At the gate she was screened and let out of the city through the pink shield. She traveled down the dirt road to the way staion where a bunch of other steel rangers were waiting for a carriage that would take them to douge junction. She stood there with all of them before suddenly the ground shook. Above them the shield was taking fire from below. A few carts dashed up the road and a dozen of the milling cadets jumped in and were taken down to where in the distance Rogue could see gun fire as the MOWT army tried to fight off the zebra army. Rogue and four other cadets remained to man a barricade down the road. For hours the four were taught as rubber bands pulled to their brink, waiting for something to happen. And something happened indeed. Suddenly the ground rumbled. Rogue was the first to look up. She saw as the shield rapidly filled with a sickly pink vapour. Is horror she threw away her gun and galloped up the hill at full speed. She tried to get through the shield but the guards had fled, so there was no one to perform the spell on her. She stood there pushing against it before she jumped as her mother stood before her, hooves mirroring her position against the sphere of magic. She could just barely make out the word her mother was mouthing. 'Run! Run Rogue!' the young mare stared at her mother before she saw that the mare was weakening. 'run…' she mouthed. Finally as Rogue lay down in front of her mother she saw her mothers last words. 'I love…' Rogue stared at the corpse of her mother before an audible cracking could be heard. Rogue turned and ran down the street. Finally the shield burst. Rogue looked back as the shock wave rippeled her form and her face was bathed in pink cloud. The mare tumbeled to the groud and coughed out a single breath. The draness lasted seconds for rogue, but she knew it was at least a few days in real time. The mare stood up and looked around in confusion. The barricade and bags were gone. She looked up to the city and it was still swimming in that pink vapor. She could see that the town below Canterlot was flooded with pink water. But the gun fire was no longer blazing in the fields below. Rogue turned back to the city and her eyes lit up with worry.

"Mom!:' she cried and she galloped back up the hill. As she entered the city she waved a hoof around trying to clear the smoke. Suddenly a rasping breath caught her ear. She walked towards it. "Mom?" suddenly a pony attacked Rogue. she jumped back and out of the cloud as the pony followed her. Rogue froze in horror as she realized that it was Inner Eye. "Mom! Mom snap out of it! It's me!" but the mare was still attacking her. Rogue fell down to the ground and crawled back in horror. Her hoof landed on something hard. A fence post. Rogue grabbed it and swung it hard. Her mom's chest was torn open and she fell down dead. Rogue crawled back in horror and stared at the spot where she had killed her mother. Then the corpse rose into the air and came back to life. Rogue stared at it wide eyed before Inner Eye charged at her again. Rogue's eyes filled with tears and she screamed and shoved the fence post through her mother's eye. Blood and brain matter splattered all over Rogue's face. she lay there with her mother's body over top of her, her face covered in blood and sobbed as the world slowly faded back to white. Soarin walked up to her and stood there. Rogue looked up to his with tears streaming down her face.

"Why…" Soarin exhaled through his nose.

"We are a collection of our experiences, they make us who we are… without them… we're nothing." Soarin walked away again. The next memory was shortly after the last. Rogue was stabbing a zebra in the eye with the same fence post she had with her mother, screaming with each repeated hit. After five she started crying again and threw the post aside. As she did this two more zebra ghoul walked up to her snarling and growling. She took her gun and opened fired. They both went down but five more took their places. Soon five became seven, then ten, then fifteen. Rogue couldn't fight them all off. She was backing into a corner and running out of ammo, this was the end. Suddenly her wolrd was splashed wth fire. The zebra ghouls went down like Timberwolves and between the flames galloped a steel ranger.

"Rouge!" the gruff voice called. Rogue stared up at him in shock.

"Applesnack…"

"Get you'r sorry fucking flank up here you bitch!" he cried as he pulled her onto his back and galloped through the flames again. he ran through the waterlogged town to a cart that was being guarded by two other rangers. "What the fucking hell were you thinking!?" Rogue didn't respond. She just stared at a sign on the town news board. It was an advert; 'Tuna fish salad sandwich buy two get a large drink free at Frazla's fish market!' Rouge stared at it in shock as she was loaded onto the cart. She didn't even flished when it jerked away and she was pulled out of the town. She just stared as they moved along. The world faded again. Rogue looked at Soarin forlornly.

"I thought she was a fraud. My whole life, I thought she was a fraud… but she knew… she knew when I would try to get in again… she knew about the tuna… she knew it would be the last time I'd see dad…" Rogue shook her head. Soarin sighed and the world was bathed in color again. Rogue looked around in shock. This was when… a shot rang out. Miles away a mother of three went down. The raiders all around Rogue cheered.

"Alright Moriarty! Lets just shoot some foals!" one raider squealed in happiness. The half burned pony laughed. Then he turned to Rogue.

"Traitor my dear! Be a doll and show us how far you can really shoot!" Rogue set up her sniper before she sights were filled with something other then a foal. It was a zebra mare and unicorn stallion. They were herding two of the foals inot the nearby shack. Rogue followed the one zebra as she ran to the only child that had remained by her mother's side, crying into her body, and Rogue was brought back, back to the time she had down the same. And she lifted her gun.

"No." she said quietly. All around her the raiders turned their eyes to her.

"No?" Moriarty asked with fury.

"NO?!" one raider cried. Rogue turned and punched one raider who charged her in the face. Rogue turned her hoof to Moriarty.

"I'm done… find another long shot." With that Rogue turned away. The raiders went to chase her but Moriarty held them back.

"Let her go… she'll come crawling back someday." Rogue kept walking away even as she heard the screams of the zebra and foals as the small group of raiders attacked the cottage. Saorin landed beside her, smiling.

"You did the right thing… you're still good Rogue." the mare turned to Soarin with a tired face.

"Not good enough… I could have killed Moriarty, I could have saved those foals… but I didn't…" Soarin didn't say anything at a backdrop formed again. Rogue was walked through the wasteland with no real purpose when she heard a gunshot. She turned and galloped towards it hoping for a spot of a challage. She rose over a hill to see stallion, a mare, and two colts fighting off a small group of ghouls from behind an over turned table. The stallion had a shot gun, the mare the frying pan, and the two colts matching sling shots. Rogue rolled her eyes and made an annoyed noise before she dashed forwards and using her hand gun with a silencer popped a round into each ghoul's head. The four ponies looked up at her and the stallion laughed.

"You've got mighty good timing lass." He said grabbing her arm and shaking it. Rogue stared at him as he turned back to what was obviously his family. "Alright! Back to the wall! We got ta keep working on it, once Stealthy, Cobalt and Steel Skull get here we'll have a good few pair of hooves again but we need these walls up soon, can't have the ghouls breaking down the doors! Come on!" Rogue watched as the family worked on lifting steel plates into a short wall. The stallion saw her staring and moved towards her. "This here is the hunter's nook lass. Ponies come here and they comision good lads and lasses to kills ghouls. Then ya get caps for every ghoul you kill." Rogue blinked.

"I'm good at killing ghuouls…" she said quietly. The stallion smiled.

"Well then lass… why don't ya become a hunter?" Rogue stared at the clean shaven golden stallion, with his thick north Trottingham accent and his heavy footing, before her lips quirked up into a smile and she nodded. Soarin smield at her.

"He sure was young…"Rogue nodded with a sigh.

"Now he's old… a granddad…" another memory started. Rogue realized with a jolt that it was her last hunt with Stealthy Kill and Cobalt, the only ponies she'd teamed with. The trio were staring at an old warehouse.

"I'm telling you, this is a bad idea." Colbalt said as they approached the building. Rogue rolled her shoulders.

"Cobalt, stop it! You're nervousness is making me nervous." The blue stallion groaned and follwed the other two. The leaped into action as they ran through the building spending a round on each ghoul. Soon the building was completely cleared. Stealthy Kill smiled.

"See, it wasn't so-" the rest of his sentence was cut off as the ceiling collapsed and at least four dozen ghouls dropped from the floor above. The trio tried to run away but Stealthy was soon consumed by the herd. Rogue and Cobalt watched as Stealthy was torn apart. The pair tried to out run them but one ghoul bit Cobalt in hind leg as he and Rogue leaped out of the door. Rogue watched in horror as the ghoul ripped Cobalt to shreds with their gnashing teeth. Rogue stared in horror, frozen in shock before a nearby wall toppled over and the ghouls pushed through it. With that Rogue galloped back to the hunter's nook. From that day until the day she was saved by Strike five years previous Rogue never spoke a word. Hunters came and went and Rogue would hunt and sit at the bar, listening to Whiskey talk about his sons or the weather or the radio. She would sit there. Ponies would try to talk to her but she wouldn't talk back. Twice she had made friends. Twice she had lost them. Buy Celestia's wrath, she'd never make the same mistake again. Rogue closed her eyes and let a few tears fall down her cheek as the memory faded away. She stood there, sad and mournful when the sound of birdsong ran into her ear. She looked up and saw the blue sky. The clouds were all the same perfect shape. She looked around her. All around her were apple trees. They were all arranged in perfectly straight lines and all the perfectly same shape, with the perfectly ripe apples hanging from them. She began walked through the strange orchard in confusion. Suddenly a bright purple butterfly flittered passed her. She turned to it in shock and chased after it. Without a net she would never be able to catch it but she chased it still, knowing, though not sure quite how she knew, that the butterfly was leading her somewhere important. Finally she was out of the orchard. She gapped. Standing before her was Applejack. She looked the same as always. In her hoof, sitting languilly, was the glowing purple butterfly.

"You've been chasing it fer a while now Rogue." Applejack said and she let the butterfly float off into the sky. "Yer tired…" she said with a smile. Rogue watched her as the orange mare took a bite out of one of those perfect apples. "But first ya gotta help them… yer momma didn't raise ya ta leave folks ta die… so help them… then ya need ta get some rest…" Applejack stood before Rogue, close enough to touch and smiled. "We're waiting."

* * *

Rogue opened her eyes.

"Rogue!" Oak Tree cried as she leaned over the mare. Rouge went to sit up, but she felt heavy and weak.

"What…" she rasped out. Oak held out a straw for her and Rogue took a sip. "what happened?" Rogue asked, stronger then before. Oak stared at her worriedly.

"Anexina kidnapped you and left you on the top of Canterlot mountain…" Rogue groaned as she recalled the paralyzing fear.

"And after that?" Oak bit her lip. "What is it?"

"We've been inside the vault for a while now… your hunter friends joined us a few hours after you fell..."

"A while? Didn't this happen a few hours ago?" Oak Tree stared at her in shock. "What?"

"Rogue," Oak began in delicately. "You've been in a coma for three months…"

* * *

A/N: ugh… I feel tired and limp… believe it or not this is the shorter version of this chapter. Originally I was going to add more… but I realized that it was getting pretty long plus some of it was already explained in previous chapters. She was a favorite of the rangers who trained under Steelhooves, therefore I left out a scene of her training with steelhooves. I left out a part about Sleazy and Rogue having sex in an alley… because reasons… I left out a new character called Ribbon Finish who Rogue was supposed to watch go feral but I felt that adding yet another new character the reader was supposed to connect to would be too much at this time, but aside from that everything else is the same…

How many people are shocked to see Soarin…

He was hinted at when we meet Doc Rad…

Apparently I'm a bit like J. ...another persons words! Not mine!

-Authora

P.S. this week is best episode! :D


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A/N: ugh, the thing I do for you guys... *vomits into bucket* I am totally sick right now and I just wrote this whole chapter in like two hours, be grateful, please read the authors note at the bottom.

ONWARDS! *slaps hand over mouth and goes into bucket again*

* * *

Rogue sat at the overmare's desk surrounded by other ponies. The vault doctor, the overmare, Pineapple Turnover, Oak Tree, Clockwork, Sharp Shot, Strike and Whiskey Drops were all standing around the room. Sharp's leg was in a sling but he was happy to see Rogue up and awake.

"Ya gave us a right good scare there lass." Whiskey said quietly. Rogue smiled weakly and nodded without making a sound.

"We'll train you up and you'll be up and running again in no time Rogue." Sharp Shot said with a wide smile. Rogue nodded again and closed her eyes in weariness.

"Erm… are you alright Rogue?" Oak asked quietly. The mare in the chair smiled and looked up at her.

" I'm fine Oak… just tired." Rogue said. she stood up,much to the shock of everypony in the room and turned to Strike.

"I need a ride… I had an idea when I was in that coma… if I'm lucky we'll win this thing in a landslide… but first… do any of you know somepony who can perform the cloud walking spell?"

"Gunner's lass, Iron Bullet." Whiskey responded quickly "You're not thinking what I think yer thinking are ya lass?" Rogue nodded.

"I'm thinking exactly what you're thinking Whiskey… so Strike? What do you want in return?" the Griffin looked at her with a smug face.

"Well I already saved your life, so that plus this… I want power armor." Clockwork sputtered angrily at the gryphons gall but he wasn't finished. "Avian power armor." Rogue looked at him in annoyance and huffed.

"You never make it easy…"

"Nope." Strike responded. Rogues eyes glassed over for a few seconds before she closed them and smiled. She opened them again with determination.

"Let's go."

* * *

"This is a terrible plan you know!" Strike called back from the front of the cart. Rogue was leaning over the back edge puking her stomach out, literally.

"Shut up and get over the clouds!" she screamed. The griffon laughed and whipped up into the clouds. They burst through the cloud cover at Strike's quick pace and began circling around. Rogue looked down at the clouds even more secure then the first time knowing that with the spell she had, the clouds would actually catch her. She lifted her radio up. "Littlepip? Can you reach us?" Littlepip's voice came out clearer then it had ever been under the clouds.

"Loud and clear, you need to go north north east about ten miles." Strike nodded and whipped off in that direction. Soon they could see the cloud city. It was pearly white, a clear color Rogue hadn't seen in centuries. The only difference she could see of the old times was that this city was surrounded by a wall. Funny enough though Rogue was fairly certain, if she recalled correct, that one could walk through cloud walls… right? Perhaps it was a deterrent, the walls were meant to scare not hold out enemies, after all, they weren't being attacked anytime soon. Rogue's train of though was cut off when a bullet scratched her face. She slammed the button on her chest to set up her helmet and pulled out her gun.

"Shit!"

"Finally woke up huh!? I've been calling out to you for ten minutes!" Strike shouted and he preformed another evasive outmaneuver as a pegasus tank threw a missile at them. it missed and punched a hole in the clouds, exploding on contact. After about ten more minutes of flying around Strike was shot in the wing and both him the cart and Rogue fell to the clouds. Rogue screamed until she landed on the clouds with an oomph. She stood and lifted her hooves, getting the texture of the clouds. After a few seconds she beamed.

"This is so cool!" she cried out happily. The click of a gun made her look up. A blue pegasus with a silver grey mane was levelling a machine gun at her head. Rogue looked at the power armor where the eyes should be and glared.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the stallion demanded. Rogue growled.

"My name is Rogue Ranger, and I'm here to stop a calamity." The gun was lowered. And the helmet clipped off. The pegasus stared at her in shock. Another pony came up beside the stallion and scoffed.

"YOU'RE Rogue Ranger? I though you were a pegasus…" the stallion without his helmet turned to the pony and snarled.

"What does species matter anyway? Can you make plants grow or lift something twice your weight?" the pegasus scoffed again.

"No, but she can't fly, or shape clouds… she doesn't even have magic… a simple boring earth pony that spends all her day in the dirt." The pegasus said. Rogue slapped him soundly across the face. Her eyes were burning with fury and she shoved her nose to the pegasus's face.

"You're no better then earth ponies or unicorns or even zebra! With zebra magic even I could fly, with unicorn magic I can walk on clouds, even shape them, but you, you scorn me for being un magical when you don't have magic either! Not to mention you would probably make a bean sprout die! And I'd like to see you harvest twelve acres of apples in four hours! Not to mention I can shoot farther then any of you probably could in your dreams. So yes! I can't fly without help! But that doesn't make me worse then you!" Rogue finished she was still snarling angrily. the pegasus backed away with his ear back and wings drooping. The pegasus without his helmet smirked.

"Wow… granddad wasn't kidding…" the first pegasus said with a chuckle. Rogue turned to him in confusion. The stallion held out his hoof. "The name is Sound Board." Rogue blinked before she looked up at his face fully. The eyes of this stallion were the exact same shape and color as…

"Circuit…" Rogue mumbled with slightly glazed eyes. The stallion looked at her with a smile before his gaze turned into a frown.

"What calamity?" he asked in confusion. Rogue looked up at him with a determined face.

* * *

"And so, we'll be attacking at this location here." Rogue said placing a pin in map of equestria that was layed out.

"But unicorn range is crawling with ghouls…" Oak said with worry.

"Not anymore it's not lass. We hunters are quite efficient." Whiskey said with a smile.

"What I'm hoping actually is that there are still a few ghouls out there Whiskey…" Rogue said gravely. The golden earth pony frowned. "Those ghouls will attack anything that makes noise… which is why only those trained in stealth or can fly will be coming… once the ghouls, if there are any, which hopefully there are, start attacking Anexina's group the pegasus tanks will come down from the sky. Six ponies per tank. That include you Whiskey." The hunter smiled.

"I have a feelin this'll be a fight ta remember lass." Rogue smiled at him before she went back to the map.

"Sound Board, I need three of your aerial teams to be ready for this attack… alright… everypony get settled… we're planting the bait tomorrow… Sound, could you stay behind, I need to talk to you." the ponies all exited the room save for sound board. Rogue looked at him warily.

"I was wondering if you had a spare aerial power armor, something big enough for a male griphon." Sound Board blinked at her then frowned.

"Erm… maybe… but why?"

"Because I owe Strike for saving my life and he asked for power armor… avian power armor…" Sound chuckled.

"You know… my great granddad told me stories about you… like the time you and some guy named Sleazy and him all painted zebra glyphs on the side of the Canterlot castle… or the time you celebrated qwanza… and the time you shot that police officer in the head with a marble."

"Actually it was a rock that we thought was a marble." Rogue said with a smile. Her smile fell and she looked up at the young stallion."Did he talk about me a lot?" Sound Board smiled.

"Yeah… he said some of his best memories were of down here… he said he had only one regret…" Rogue looked at him.

"What was that?" Sound Board looked her up and down.

"maybe you could explain it… I never understood… he said he shouldn't have made you choose…" Rogue's eyes glazed over and she choked back a sob.

"Oh Circuit." She whimpered quietly. The stallion blushed a bit as Rogue sobbed into her hoof. After a few seconds she wiped her face. "Sorry… I just… well that memory is very fresh… can I ask one last thing? Did Circuit… did he ever say he loved me?" Sound Board blinked then spoke in shock.

"Yeah, he used to say all the time that he wished he'd really told you that he loved you…" Rogue sighed.

"What happened to him… how did he die?" Rogue asked. Sound Board looked at her sadly.

"Old age… he was eighty five… a bit young for a pegasus but he had been under a lot of stress when he was younger…" Rogue frowned.

"Stress? What stress?" Rogue asked. The pegasus hissed through his teeth awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay don't freak out… my great granddad is the one who invented the rainbow guns… and the rainbow machine." Rogue stared at him with a gaping mouth and horrified eyes. "But it wasn't his fault… you see my granddad, Chess Board was just a foal and great granddad had to raise him on his own because great grandma was killed in the war. Well you know how Circuit was, he liked to tinker and the enclave saw that he was good with machines and they threatened to kill Chess Board if great granddad didn't help them… my dad says that Circuit used to always say he should have come down here with Chess Board. He says that granddad used to say that he always wanted to know what happened to you, that he regretted never trying to find out… I can remember him raving about that when I was just a colt; about Rogue Ranger and what ever happened to her…" Sound Board trailed off. Rogue was looking down at her hooves as she sat forlornly in a chair.

"He never had the courage to tell me when we were younger… I thought that I was in love with somepony else… but they didn't love me back… they just wanted my body… Circuit cared about who I was… I was just to caught up in the danger to see it…" Rogue murmured quietly. Suddenly a radio crackled, interrupting the pair.

"This is Score Board, where are you Sound?" the pegasus rolled his eyes.

"Geez, what are you, mom? I'll be up in a minute hold yer horses." There was a crash like a cymbal and a females voice rang out.

"Oops… anyways, we're worried about you Sound… is it as creepy as they say it is, do they really have undead ponies? I here there's a creature that is two ponies stuck together back to back with no bottom!" another crash and bang rang out. "Oops, my bad!" Sound heaved an exasperated sigh.

" Score, take the walkie away from Crash will ya." There was a muffeled scuffle before another series of crashes was heard.

"I'm okay!" was the resounding cry of a pegasus Rogue assumed was aptly named Crash. She looked up at Sound as he went to leave.

"I better go else my sister will knock down the house… again." Rogue frowned.

"Wait, isn't your house made of clouds… how do you knock down a cloud house?" Sound looked at her with blank annoyed face though the emotion was not directed at her.

"I ask myself that question everyday." With that the pegasus was escorted out of the vault and flew back up t the clouds. Rogue sat in the overmare's office looking at her plan with determination, late into the night thinking about lost life and love and of cloud houses.

* * *

Some how time had sped up for Rogue. The three days they had to prepare disappeared in what felt like hours. Now they were amid a field blazing with gun fire and blood. Rogue felt disjointed.

 _"Go go go!" Steelhooves screamed as he pushed ponies ahead of him. "come on Ranger!" he cried_. Rogue galloped towards him. as she reached the tree line she saw Anexina and his two companions running from the battlefield. Cowards…

* * *

"Ranger!" Clockwork cried out as the mare dashed towards the forest for no apparent reason. Oak and Whiskey saw this too as charged after her as well. The mare was chasing somepony they realized and at last they came to a clearing. Rogue was being held down by one of the zebra witch's curses as the beefy warrior walked towards here with an assault rifle. Whiskey fired a shot gun round at the witch who pushed Anexina out of the way and disappeared into the forest with him. the warrior whistled and two more zebra flanked him, each holding a deadly weapon.

"Go get 'im lasses, we'll take care of these maggots!" Whiskey shouted as he pumped his shotgun. Oak helped Rogue to her hooves and together the pair chased after the witch and the cloaked villain. Oak and Clockwork looked at each other as the three zebra flexed their muscles. With a war cry the two charge forwards, gun blazing.

* * *

Oak and Rogue skidded to halt at the next clearing. The witch had conjured an evil looking black squid monster and was chanting zebra curses with a hiss. Oak saw Anexina slip deeper into the forest and pushed Rogue after him.

"Go! I can handle her!" Oak insisted. True to her word she fire at the witch when she tried to turn her curses to the ghoul. The witch then turned to her and charged with a bloody dagger in her hoof. Oak ducked and the fight began.

* * *

Rogue was casing the butterfly again, it had appeared so suddenly but she knew it was real, perfectly real, there was no way it wasn't. At last she came to a cliff side clearing. Anexina was trying in vain to climb the wall to a cave high above.

"Stop." Rogue whispered quietly. The zebra froze and turned to her with a grin.

"Rafiki! How are you?" Rogue simpl stared at the zebra as he looked right at her with his blind eyes.

"How do you see?" she asked in wonder. Anexina smirked.

"It is a ritual, I have one eyes for each other my friends, I see with there eye, we are familia." He said with a wily grin.

* * *

Clockwork and Whiskey finally took down the warriors cronies as the beefy zebra charged at them with some sort of war hammer. Clock and Whiskey jumped away and Clock tackled him. the zebra struggled for a moment before Whiskey's shotgun banged out a round into the zebra's head. He went limp and Clock stood up. He wrenched off his dented shin plate and tossed it off to the side before he gave the golden earth pony a grin.

* * *

Anexina's grin slipped off his face. Rogue stared at him as her own spell wore off. She stared at the black and white blob that was Anexina for a few blinks before her eyes cleared again. The zebra did not look happy.

* * *

Oak dipped down again even as both the witch and the squid monster attacked her. Where was the bloody enchantment's focus! Every zebra spell had an anchor and a focus. Oak could see the anchor, a small bush located at the center of the shadow. That ruled out destabilizing it that way, now she needed to knock out the focus. Oak looked around a bit as she dodged attack when she finally saw the blood. There was blood on the witch's sleeve that was not from her. Oak smirked and knew what she had to do. The zebra charged at her again and just as she vaulted over Oak's head Oak pulled out her bayonet and sliced through the zebra's ligaments at her shoulder. The arm dropped down onto the ground with a fleshy thud, revealing runes that the witch had carved not her own skin, and the zebra screamed in agony as the shadow dissipated. Oak pulled out her hand gun to give the zebra a humane send off when the zebra turned her remaining front hoof to her and cursed her.

"MAUMIVU!" the witch screamed and Oak collapsed at her body was wracked with torturous pain. "ADHABU! MATESO!" the witch screamed. But through the pain Oak still raised her gun. "KIF-" the witch never uttered her final curse as Oak Tree pulled the trigger and the zebra lay there, bleeding from a round hole in her head as Oak slipped off to unconsciousness.

* * *

Anexina screamed and clutched at his face.

"NO! HOW CAN THIS BE! FAMILIA YANGU! FAMILIA YANGU!" Anexina turned to where he knew rogue stood and pointed a shaky hoof at her as blood dripped out his face from his eyes. "YOU! YOU HAVE DONE THIS! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" he screamed. But he stumbled towards her, unable to cope with a blindness he had only suffered for a few days. Rogue stared at him as he tried to crawl on the ground towards her. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" he cried impotently. Rogue stared at him until he fell silent, then he stated to laugh. "But you cant kill me! I am MILELE! KAMWE KUKOMESHA! KUISHI-" a shot rang out. Anexina the nightmare was dead. Rogue stared down as his corpse with wide eyes over a smoking barrel. There was a purple butterfly on the zebra's head. Rogue stared at it until a semblance of tiredness swept over her. With that she turned away from the corpse.

* * *

Whiskey and Clockwork were supporting a weakened Oak between the pair of them looking for Rouge in the chard and mutated forest.

"Rogue! Rogue!" Oak cried out hoarsely.

"Lass!" Whiskey tried before he looked through his binoculars again. " I don't see her any where mate." He murmured to Clockwork. The steel ranger huffed and pulled Oak up his back more.

"Ranger!"

"Wait! Over there!" Oak cried, pointing to a splash of white and red in the forest. The trio made there way over. There, lying in a pool of blood was Anexina, but Rogue was nowhere in sight.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is disjointed, and its supposed to be, Rogue is wacko bat pony poop crazy here…

So as this is the second last chapter I'm sure some have you have seen my poll. if you haven't I request that you find a computer and visit my desktop author page or visit on your phones using the link at the bottom of the page so that I can get more then 2 votes, the poll is important for my next project so please please please for the girl who just spent two hours trying not to puke on her story notes and laptop go vote in the poll!

now for translations:

rafiki: friend

MAUMIVU!: Pain!

ADHABU!: Punishment!

MATESO!: Torture!

KI-(FU): Death

FAMILIA YANGU!: My Family!

MILELE!: Immortal!

KAMWE KUKOMESHA!: Never ending!

KUISHI (juu ya mpaka mwisho): live (on till the end)


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

* * *

The door to the elevator opened and Rogue stepped out. Four times she had been in this office now. The first time had been with Applejack, to argue with Twilight about a joint technology project; the second, to demonstrate her skill with the hoof trigger. The third had been with Gustevan and Moon to send them on their way to save the world. And now Rogue stood in these rooms that she remembered and sighed into the silence. Her hooves echoed hollowly on the stone floors as she made her way to the recoding studio. She sat in the chair and stared at the microphone in front of her.

"Littlepip…" she murmured. A nearby speaker crackled.

"Rogue…" the ghoul turned to the speaker.

"Can you set me up on every radio frequency in the wasteland?" Rogue asked quietly Littlepip didn't make a sound but after a few seconds the on air sign burned red. Rogue turned to the microphone.

"A lot of you don't know me… but then some of you do… my name is Rogue Ranger. I was born in Canterlot five years before the war was even inkling. I've been on this earth for over 250 years… I'm tired… exhausted… but I had to say goodbye to just a few of you…" Rogue swallowed and closed her eyes.

"Strike… your power armour is waiting for you at stable 2…"

* * *

Miles away Strike was presented with avian power armour by Sound Board. The griffon nodded gruffly even as Rogue continued speaking.

* * *

"Whiskey… I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to pass on that guard position… I'm sorry… old friend."

* * *

Whiskey was watching his radio with a sad face as Blues Rhythm and Rat Meat stood on either side of it listening to their aunt say goodbye

* * *

"Oak, Clockwork, yes even you Pineapple… thank you… these last few months have been great… I missed that time… thank you for letting me have it again, if only for a little while…"

* * *

The steel rangers were all listening to Rogue's voice in their earpieces. Oak had tears in her eyes. Pineapple had to swallow a ball of emotions stuck in his throat. Sharp Shot was listening in horror. "Sharp…" he perked up in shock "I've taught you all I can, it's your turn to learn all you can from yourself… good luck." The initiate let a tear streak down his cheek and bowed his head in mourning.

* * *

Rogue took a shuddery breath and moved on to the next batch of ponies she had to thank. "Sound Board… thank you… today we ponies stood strong together, your great grandfather once said that we were all creatures of the same matter… I see that such wisdom is hereditary… we are all one and the same. Unicorn, pegasus, earth ponies, zebra… even dragons and hellhounds. We all have blood pumping through our veins… we all breath, we all think… I hope that someday the ideas of speciseism don't exist… but I know that sadly there will always be ponies who think they are better then others be it because of flight, or magic, or money… I'm just glad that you aren't like them… I hope you stay that way…"

* * *

Sound Board listened to this all as he looked at the picture of his great grandfather.

"You were right great granddad… she really was worth it." He murmured to the picture.

* * *

" Ghoul Trapper…" Rogue began. Then she laughed loudly. "I swear to god Ghoul if you don't have living companions right now I will come back and haunt you."

* * *

"Ha! See I told you she would mention you!" a palomino brown and white mare with a brown and green scarf with midnight blue glasses said. Ghoul Trapper rolled his eyes.

"Yeah but you cheated." He said. The mare smiled even as the other mare beside him shook her head.

" You guys are ruining the moment, she's pouring her heart out and all you care about it your silly bet!"

"Shush Amethyst I'm trying to listen!" the blue mare with pink glasses and a purple mane growled in annoyance.

* * *

"Gustevan… Moon…" Rogue smiled with a sigh. "I don't know where you are but I hope you're alright… Moon… take care of Gustevan, you and I both know that that's how it really works."

* * *

"You make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble, and Gustevan… don't leave her behind alright… she needs you as much as you need her." A charcoal mare with a white mane striped with red and yellow turned to the griffon who was staring at the radio in shock.

"It seems she did remember you after all…" the mare said with a smile. The griffon simply put his cigarette back in his mouth waiting for Rogue to finish. Moon was sitting in front of the radio with tear filled eyes.

* * *

Rogue took a fortifying breath.

"Quick Draw… I'm not sure if your still alive or not… wherever you are… you didn't get what you wanted… and I'm sorry for that… but I have one bequest for you… when they fish it out of my head, you get the bullet that took my life… it's all you ever wanted after all…"

* * *

Quick draw stared at the radio from his wheelchair in annoyance. He whistled for another whiskey and took a long draught as he listened to Rogue talk.

* * *

Rogue was silent for a bit before she finally finished her list.

"Doc…" she said with a waver in her voice.

* * *

Doctor Radish looked up in shock and moved close to the radio. The nurses were all standing beside his as he listened, taught as a string. "You never thought of me as a monster… ever. You thought of me as a friend when most others would shoot me on sight… you're a good pony Doc… and I'm very glad to have met you." the Doctor stumbled back into a chair and looked at the radio in sadness.

* * *

Rogue looked down at her hooves. "I guess I do have a lot to live for here… but I can't anymore… there is a lot that is missing from here… a lot I want back… I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

* * *

Hundreds looked at their radios in silence waiting for what would happen to the mare. "Goodbye." A shot rang out across the entire wasteland. It was ringing loudly in the minds of every pony who owned a radio. All across the wasteland tears fell from listeners eyes. Even Quick Draw dropped his tumbler and stared at his radio with a hollow expression. After a few seconds a song started playing.

 _"Every story must come to an end I wish I could tell you more…"_

 _"We've had our sadness and we've had our fun, something we can't ignore…"_

Slowly the song echoed on in the wasteland. It was as if the land heaved a great sigh of pain but still the world turned… still the sun and moon rose and fell…

It was the story of the wasteland.

* * *

Oak tree stood at the stable door forlornly. She didn't feel ready for this… Clockwork stepped up.

"Ready?" the mare said nothing but she still followed the older stallion. There was a small crowd of ponies standing by a hole in the ground. Oak and Clockwork as well as seven initiates, including Rogue's remaining sniper trainee's Sharp Shot and Pumpkin pie, stood in a line.

"Attention!" Clockwork cried. Down the line six steel rangers with a long thin box on their shoulders snapped their heels. "Forward memorial march!" with another snap the six ponies marched forwards. As they reached the end of the line and set the box down on top of ropes Clockwork straightened again. "Twenty one gun salute!" with two smart clicks the seven initiates had their guns pointed to the sky. Sharp Shot had tears on his cheeks. "Fire!" seven shots banged out. it was followed by seven clicks. "Fire!" seven bangs. click. "Fire!" bang. The guns where smartly returned to relaxed position. Clockwork stepped forwards.

"As head of the Steel rangers and MOWT army, it is my honour to present you this star paladin rank post-mortem." Clockwork said and he placed the metal badge on the coffin. Oak stepped forwards.

"Goodbye." Oak murmured and she placed Rogue's sniper beret beside the badge. Sharp Shot stepped forwards. With a click and a snap he relinquished his gun and laid it onto of her coffin. The two senior steel rangers looked at him as he took his place once more. Gustevan stepped out from the crowd. The griffin looked at the coffin before he pulled out a handgun and removed the clip. He placed it on the coffin and moved back to stand beside Moon. Ghoul was the next to step forwards. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and threw it on top of the coffin before he walked back to the crowd. Doctor Radish stepped forwards. He looked at the coffin for several seconds before he sighed.

"I have nothing to give my friend but my thanks… goodbye." He turned away and walked back to the crowd. Homage stepped up next. The unicorn placed a CD on the coffin. Then Sound Board came forwards. In his hooves was a box. He gingerly opened the box to pull out a pair of pristine headphones.

"These have been in my family for two generations now, they belong to my great grandfather… I know he'd want you to have them." Sound Board placed them on top of the growing pile. "Rest in peace." He turned away. Whiskey stepped up. He looked around the orchard then behind him to the crowd of ponies. He turned back to the coffin and smiled.

"I told ya so lass… all yer life an death ya were surrounded by good folks… I'm sad ta see ya go… Blues and Rat will miss ya… but I'm glad yer resting… sleep well." Whiskey finished before he slammed a bottle of whiskey rather hard on the box. He walked away and the steel rangers moved to lower Rogue and her treasures into her grave hen a gravely throat was cleared.

"Wait!" cried a rough voice. The crowd parted and standing there was a unicorn ghoul. He once had white fur that was now tinged grey. His mane was patchy but its roan colour could still be seen. He had had deep green eyes. The ghoul slowly made his way up to the coffin. He reached into his tattered saddlebag, which everypony realised was fused to his side, and pulled out a very tattered old straw hat. Around the base of the hat was a red ribbon with a repeated darker red apple motif. The ghoul placed the hat lovingly on the coffin and after a few seconds began to sob.

"I'm sorry… so sorry… my sweet sweet child…" the ghoul rasped out before he turned away and walked towards the crowd as he sobbed into his handkerchief. The ponies and griffon looked at him strangely until the coffin was slowly lowered into the hole and covered up. After that the crowd began to clear. Whiskey bid the group farewell and headed back for the hunters nook. Both oak and Sharp disappeared back into the vault to be alone. The ghoul finally calmed himself down as Moon and Doctor Radish walked up to him.

"So… did you know Rogue well?" Moon asked first. The ghoul looked at her before he cleared his throat.

"She was my daughter." He said evenly. Moon's jaw dropped open in shock. Gustevan and Ghoul's eyes widened. Doc simply placed a hoof on the ghouls shoulder sympathetically.

"But… Canterlot got all shot up… how…" Gustevan asked. The ghoul sighed.

"Only ten of us survived, the reactor was inside the mountain so when the enclave came the reactor stayed where it was, though we did have several radioactivity melt downs… not that it mattered… for us at least…" Four Eyes rasped. The small group stood around relating tales of how they had met Rogue, or how Rogue had been when she was a child. They felt Rogue with them still, in their hearts as they each parted for their own part of Equestria.

The world kept turning.

The sun rose.

The sun fell.

The moon rose.

The moon fell.

The wind rustled in the leaves.

Flaxen hair blew in the wind.

Deep rumbling laughter echoed around.

All was at peace.

The end

* * *

Celestia closed the book with a melancholy air and levitated it back onto the shelf. She took a deep breath and sighed with a slight smile on her face before she lifted a teacup to her lips. Luna walked in with a finance book.

"Sister, I still think we can expend more for the winter festival if we… sister?" Celestia looked at her sister strangely before she turned to a reflective surface and saw that a few tears were on her cheeks.

"Oh." Celestia said quietly with a slight laugh as she wiped them away. "I'm sorry… I was reading Rogue again… it gets me every time…" Luna was looking at the book on the shelf before she levitated the finance book off to the side and lay beside her sister.

"Why do you read it if it makes you sad?" Luna asked as she looked at the cover of the book. It showed Rogue's face with a purple butterfly on her chest and the title in red army print. Celestia smiled.

"Those are not tears of sadness Luna… I am happy for Rogue in the end… she got what she wanted." Luna frowned.

"How could she? She's dead." Luna mumbled in confusion. Celestia looked at her sister and then the book.

"Sister, were you confused by the last lines?" she asked quietly. The dark princess opened the book and looked at the last page.

"Yes, those lines seemed out of place…" Celestia smiled wider and sipped her tea before she took the book into her hooves, cleared her throat, and read the last four lines aloud.

" 'And the wind rustled in the leaves,' of the apple orchard. Applejack's 'Flaxen hair blew in the wind', Applesnack's 'Deep rumbling laughter echoed around,' and for Rogue," Luna's eyes widened and filled with tears. " 'All was at peace.'" Celestia finished with a slight quiver as she rubbed her eye again. She looked over to see Luna shaking with silent sobs. The dark alicorn hugged Celestia and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Oh sister… thank you." she murmured into the alicorn's white coat. Celestia smiled and embraced her sister in return and the book was slid back into its proper place. After a while Luna wiped her face then smiled.

"Authora really has a way with words," she said with a calm voice. She felt calm and content now. Celestia smiled widely.

"Yes… but how does she write all these wondrous books and get all of her paper work done?" Luna rolled her eyes.

"I have no idea but Post It and Straight Stapler say that she's the best admin worker they've had in years..." Luna said with a slight smile and a raise of her head in pride. Celestia smiled and stepped out of the library with her sister.

"Perhaps she's writing something new now Luna…" the younger sister leaned her head on her older sister's shoulder as they walked down the hall.

"Perhaps..."

Miles away an author sat at her computer in frustration, because nopony was voting in her poll… she looked to you, gabbed her hoof at the screen, smiled, and winked.

* * *

A/N: Hello Hello Hello!

Who spotted the cameo? Not the one at the end, the one in the goodbye speech…

Probably only Books… *sigh*

So Rogue is officially over, and writer's block season begins… UNLESSSS!

VOTE IN THE POLL! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL! I NEED YOU TO VOTE! PLEEEEAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEE!

Thanks to all the wonderful artist of all the wonderful songs that Rogue and company enjoy in the wasteland. Thank you to kkat for fallout equestria… nough said. thanks to Hasbro and everyone on the mlp staff. Thank you books for your hilarious reviews and thank you, dear readers for reading my little tale…

Vote in the poll…

oh and once again, I promise princess I will reach my quota, thank you for letting me write when I should be working...

all hail goddess Lauren fausticorn *bows*

Bye ;)

-Authora 'Cupcakes' Adentures

p.s. VOTE IN THE POLL!


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